A Future Caskett
by ucsbdad
Summary: Thousands of years from now, on a distant planet, Kate Beckett is a cop and Richard Castle is an author, but many things are very different. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

For thousands of years humans left the solar system and spread out across the Orion Arm of the Milky Way and even deeper into the galaxy. Eventually, the Great Human Expanse began to collapse. Some planets were so devastated by war and chaos that all life died off. Some were thrust back into barbarism. Some slid back, but not completely. Our story takes place on one such planet where technology has fallen to the level of early 21st century Earth. Of course not every place on 21st century Earth had the same level of technology…..

Detective Kate Beckett sat at her rickety wooden desk and tried for the fourth time to get her computer to boot up. The flickering of the fluorescent panel above her didn't help. _Why can't maintenance fix those damned lights?_ She thought.

Her work was interrupted by a shout from her boss's office. "Beckett! Get your skinny ass in here. Now!"

She shot to her feet and hurried across the worn and cracked linoleum flooring.

One of her "partners", Kevin Ryan, snickered. "Looks like Sweetie Pie is going to get it."

She ignored him and went into Captain Montgomery's office.

"Close the damned door." Montgomery snapped.

She did so and stood there while Montgomery glared at her. Although summer was officially over, it was still hot and the air conditioning wasn't able to keep up. Montgomery had taken off his jacket, his tie and had his sleeves rolled up. She could see sweat on his shaven head.

Finally, he spoke. "Do you know someone or something, Beckett?"

She had no idea what that meant. "No one that you don't know about, sir."

"Someone knows you. You know of a Richard Castle, the novelist?"

She nodded. "He writes the Derrick Storm series about a Security Service operative who…"

"Skip it. I've seen the movies, too."

Actually, Kate had only seen one of the Derrick Storm films. She had thought them nothing but endless gunfights, car chases and scantily clad women. The books had far more layered characterizations and plot twists that kept her guessing until the end of the books.

Montgomery glanced at a piece of paper on his desk. "Richard Castle wants to do some research about a Criminal Police homicide detective. You."

She was shocked. "Me? Why me, sir?"

"How do I know? Maybe he saw your picture. Or maybe someone told him that you're the only homicide cop worth anything in the whole freaking city. Everyone else is like those idiots out there."

Those idiots were what passed for her team, of course. Detective Kevin Ryan, who's family history said he should be a gangster, not a cop. Detective Javier Esposito who'd been demoted from the Field Police to the far less prestigious Criminal Police and never forgot whatever unknown mistake had cost him his career. And Corporal Roslyn Karpowski, liaison of the Field Police to the 12th Precinct. In spite of the detectives being plain clothes, Karpowski insisted on wearing her black uniform and made a point of letting every one know she was from the Field Police and they, most especially Esposito, were not. Espo retaliated by telling her that liaison with the Criminal Police meant she was officially useless for anything more complex. Kate often wondered when one would kill the other. Not that she cared.

"Castle will be in later to follow you around."

"For how long?"

"How should I know? And he's an Elite, so make damned sure not to do anything to piss him off. Anything he wants, you do. Understood?"

Kate understood perfectly. "Yes, sir."

"Now get out of here."

Kate had hardly gotten back to her desk when Castle arrived. She had seen his face on the covers of his books, but actually seeing him was different. His photo hadn't been altered. He really was good looking. And tall, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. He had on a perfectly cut blue suit, a white shirt and a striped tie. When he checked the time, she could see he had an expensive watch. Then he stepped into Montgomery's office.

 _What did you expect?_ She thought to herself. _He looks just like an Elite. And he'll act like one, too._

"Detective Beckett. Will you come in here, please?"

The entrance of Castle and Montgomery's use of the word "please" had caused the "team" to look at her in curiosity and a bit of awe. She ignored them as she rushed to Montgomery's office.

"Mr. Castle, this is Detective Kate Beckett, the best homicide cop in the city. Beckett, this is Richard Castle, the writer."

Castle smiled at her and shook her hand.

"Beckett, we have a fresh one for you and Mr. Castle to roll on. 53rd and Barras. Uniforms are already there. And remember to show Mr. Castle every courtesy."

Beckett nodded and then led Castle towards the garage and her cruiser. As soon as she saw it, she swore. "Dammit! The right front tire is flat again. I keep asking them to replace it, but they keep trying to fix the damned thing."

"No problem, Detective. We'll take my car."

"With all due respect, Mr. Castle, my cruiser has police radios and computers as well as other..."

Castle cut her off. "So does my car. I made sure it was completely outfitted when I decided to follow you. This way, please."

Kate followed him outside and almost stopped when she saw his car. It was huge, and both the paintwork and chrome gleamed. Castle opened the passenger side door for her. She found the upholstery was leather and the dashboard was highly polished wood, not cheap, cracked plastic as in her car. She checked the console. He had a both a radio set and a computer that would not have looked out of place in the Minister of State Security's own vehicle.

"Where did you get the computer and the comm gear, Mr. Castle?" She asked, somewhat awed.

He shrugged. "I know a guy."

"Oh." She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Where to again?" Castle asked, turning on the engine.

 _My God!_ Kate thought. _I can hardly hear the engine._ "Um, 53rd and Barras. Near Junktown."

"Got it." Castle said as the car pulled into traffic.

As they drove, Kate glanced furtively at the back seat. She wondered if he'd take her there or if he'd at least have the decency to take her to her place and use the bed. _He's an Elite. He'll do what he damned well pleases._ She thought.

When they got there, Kate noticed the two uniforms weren't in proper uniform. Due to the heat, they had their ties off and their long-sleeved blue shirts had been altered to short sleeved shirts, showing off their massive biceps and tattooed forearms.

Seeing an obvious Elite car pull up, they came to something like attention. When they saw Beckett and Castle emerge, an odd came over their faces.

 _They're wondering if Castle is some MSS bigshot come to make their life miserable._

The two men saluted, something Kate had never seen before. "Detective Beckett, we're officers Lockwood and Marks. We found the deceased."

Kate nodded, but let them sweat a bit longer. "Oh, this is Richard Castle, the writer. He's doing research for one of the Derrick Storm novels."

The two men relaxed and smiled.

"What do we have?" Kate asked.

Lockwood replied. "Maggie Reynolds, age fifteen. Record for prostitution, drugs and carrying a blade. I count thirteen stab wounds. Address is for her parents, but they haven't seen her for over a year. Same with school."

"Witnesses?"

Lockwood almost laughed, then remembered Castle. "No one ever sees a Junktown hooker get carved up."

Castle stepped forward. "It's been my experience that people will remember things if you ask properly." He pulled a roll of bills from his pocket and handed what looked like fifty sovereigns to each cop. "Go across the street and spread those around. You'll find someone."

The two took his money and headed across the street to a row of tiny shops all crowded together.

Kate wondered just how naïve Castle was. Obviously the two would disappear into the maze of shops, pocket the money and come back in half an hour claiming to have found nothing.

Kate was surprised when the two came back smiling inside of fifteen minutes.

"Good news, sir." Lockwood said, ignoring Kate. "We found two witnesses. The killer is the girl's pimp/boyfriend, a mush head called Gilly. They even knew where he lives, a flop six blocks from here on 53rd."

"We'll follow you, then." Castle said, then remembered Kate was in charge. "Um, if that's acceptable to Detective Beckett."

"Fine. Let's go." Beckett had no desire to argue with some Elite.

The apartment building was a dump, but the mailboxes gave the address of one A. Gilly as being on the first floor, unit 110.

Kate turned to Rick. "Mr. Castle, you should stay here. If he's still high, he could be dangerous."

Castle nodded, and Kate and the two uniforms headed down the narrow hallway. They stopped outside Gilly's door. Lockwood was about to kick it in when Kate heard a voice right behind her.

"I might be unlocked." Castle said.

Before Kate could say anything, Lockwood opened the door and all four charged in. Gilly was anything but high.

"He's totally blissed out." Marks said.

"And he's got blood all over his clothes and a bloody knife on the table in front of him." Kate said. "Search the place for any other evidence of illegal activities, cuff him and deliver him to Interrogation One at the precinct."

As Rick watched, the two uniforms collected a number of things, including s plastic bag that probably held mush. "Shouldn't you put that in an evidence bag or something?"

Marks shrugged. "Sure, if they'd give us any."

With everyone outside and Castle in his car, Kate talked to the uniforms. "You didn't spend any of Mr. Castle's sovereigns, did you?"

"You asking for a share, Detective?" Lockwood asked, sullenly.

She shook her head. "Just curious. I figured you'd pocket the money and come back saying you hadn't found a thing so you could go enjoy yourself with his money."

Lockwood nodded. "We thought about it. But, Elites can be odd. Some act like anything less than a thousand sovereigns isn't really money. We figured if we do something for him now, maybe he gets more generous later."

"We'll see." Kate said.

"By the way, Detective. We got a call from the meat wagon. They finally took the vic to the morgue." Marks called after her.

"What now?" Castle asked happily as Kate got back in the car.

"The morgue has the vic. We'll check in with the Medical Examiner for cause of death."

The morgue was in the basement of the precinct.

"Wow!" Castle said. "All they need to add to make this place totally creepy is a sign that says, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

Kate agreed but said nothing as they entered the Morgue. "Dr. Parish? It's Detective Beckett. Do you have a COD on Maggie Reynolds yet?"

A voice from an office answered. "There were thirteen stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. I would have thought even the dumbest cop could make the connection. But, no you had…"

A curvy black lady stepped into the morgue from her office, a sneer on her face. As soon as she saw Rick, her eyes lit up. "Why Detective Beckett, why didn't you tell me you had company?" She advanced on Rick, pushing Kate out of the way. "And what can I do for you, sir? You know I'll do anything at all. I'm Dr. Lanie Parish, the Medical Examiner."

Rick smiled. "Hi, I'm Rick Castle, the author. I'm following Detective Beckett around for research. Could you tell me something about the cause of death?"

Lanie whipped the sheet of the dead girl. "There are thirteen stab wounds, rather random, so I'd say a crime of passion, not a professional job. These two, "Lanie pointed, "would have caused almost instant death. I can tell you also that the girl had several illegal drugs in her system and she'd had sex several times recently. If you'd care to stay, I can give you a lot more." She said, suggestively.

"We really have to go." Castle said, grabbing Beckett's arm. "Maybe later."

"I'll be waiting."

Once in the elevator, Castle sighed. "She's sort of…pushy?"

Kate shrugged. "She's an MD, and the only person in the precinct that got past high school. I don't know what she did to end up here, but she wants out badly."

Castle, with Montgomery, watched from observation as Beckett interrogated Andrew Gilly.

"He's confessing to everything." Castle said, somewhat surprised.

"Beckett is the best interrogator there is."

"But he's under the influence of drugs. Will the court accept his confession?"

Montgomery shrugged. "Why not? We didn't give him the drugs. He's for the short drop now, for sure."

When Beckett was done, they met at her desk. "The rest is just paperwork, Mr. Castle. You'll probably be bored."

He smiled. "I'm sure I will be, but I'm here to learn how things are done, including paperwork."

They sat for several hours while Kate struggled to get her malfunctioning computer to behave properly. Once, when she was three quarters done with the report, the computer erased everything she'd done and she had to start over.

"Finally." Kate said with relief as the computer accepted her report and sent copies to the interested parties.

Kate stood and held out her hand. "It's been very interesting working with you, Mr. Castle. I hope you learned what you need to know."

Castle laughed. "You have an exaggerated idea of the extent of my talents, Detective. I can't possibly form Nikki Heat out of nothing from just one day with you."

"Nikki Heat?" Kate had no idea who she was.

"The character I'm basing on you. I'll be here tomorrow. What time do you start work?"

"Seven AM."

He groaned. "Seven AM? Okay, I'll manage to get here somehow." He shook her hand and walked out of the precinct.

 _He's probably used to coming home from some scandalous liaison at seven AM._ Kate thought to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

Castle arrived at a quarter to seven with a leather bag in his hand and went straight to Montgomery's office.

"Can I interrupt you for a moment, Captain?" He asked politely.

"Of course. Of course, Mr. Castle. Anytime you want."

"I've been realizing that taking up so much of Detective Beckett's time with my research is going to make life more difficult for you. I thought, that as one gentleman to another, I could show you my appreciation in a small way." Castle placed the bag on Montgomery's desk and began taking out bottle after bottle. "This is Leathmuir whiskey, twelve years old, which I prefer to the twenty-year old. I do hope you'll accept it as a token of my appreciation."

Montgomery was overwhelmed. He had no idea how many months of his salary he'd need to buy just one bottle of Leathmuir, let alone the eight bottles Castle had put on his desk. "Thank you, Mr. Castle, but I'm just happy to keep my superiors happy."

"I'm glad you'll accept this." Castle said, turning away.

"Um, could you close the blinds and lock the door?" Montgomery asked.

Once he was alone in his office, Montgomery opened his locked bottom right desk drawer and removed its contents, including the plastic bottle containing the rotgut he usually had to drink. He carefully put seven bottles away, opened the eighth and poured three fingers into a glass. He drank. He smiled. There was no harsh chemical aftertaste. The whiskey was smooth and rather smoky. It was the best he'd ever had. Even better than the drink the Chief of the Criminal Police had bought him when he made captain. As far as he was concerned, Castle could have Beckett, any way he wanted her. _He's an Elite. He'll have Beckett any way he wants no matter what I say or do._ He thought.

"What's up for today, Detective?" Castle asked, arriving at her desk.

She had seen him enter Montgomery's office with a bag full of something and leave with an empty bag, but she felt there was no percentage in asking questions about her superiors. "I'm afraid we're on stakeout duty, Mr. Castle. A shoplifter named George Smalls got caught by a store clerk two days ago. Smalls stabbed the clerk to death and went to ground. We're going to keep an eye on his girlfriend's apartment in hopes that he shows up."

"Fine. Shall we use my car, Detective?"

At Kate's direction, Castle parked his car on the top floor of a parking garage. "We can't see anything from here, Beckett."

Kate began to work on Castle's computer. "Behold the wonders of modern technology." The screen lit up with views of every possible entrance to the girlfriend's apartment. "All we have to do is sit here and watch. We also have an audio pickup on the window outside her apartment. We'll get voice or facial recognition if he comes anywhere near."

"Facial recognition? Those pictures don't look very clear. Do you mind if I use my own, Detective?"

Beckett nodded and Castle typed a command into his computer. Soon a dozen tiny flying drones emerged from the front of the car and took off.

"Those are Security Service drones. I've instructed them to land next to the police video cameras and….."The picture changed to a sharp, clear series of shots of the area being covered. "And, there we go. Nothing to it."

It didn't take Castle more than five minutes to get bored. He sent a dozen more drones off to look around the neighborhood. Then he annoyed Kate by making up ridiculous stories about the people he followed through the drones. By the sixth story, she was getting tired of it.

"Now he's hired muscle from some ring of international spies. Look at those shoulders and those arms. They're like tree trunks. He could tear a man in half."

Kate had had enough. "Mr. Castle. Look at the way he walks. He's got serious low back pain, which means he does hard physical labor. If he were a member of a vast, powerful spy ring, he'd get treatment for that. Since he isn't, he has to do the best he can. And the girl with the too short skirt and the too tight top works in a bank. You could see the bank's logo on her nametag. She's not some femme fatale assassin"

Castle smirked at her and she knew she'd gone too far. "Mr. Castle, I apologize. I have no right to…"

"Oh, you have every right, Beckett. I'm here to learn from you. I can't do that if you don't tell me the truth." He changed the subject. "How do you think I create my characters?"

"Um, by watching people?" She felt foolish.

"That's part of it. What do you know about the Security Service?"

"It's the elite of the Ministry of State Security. "

Castle nodded. "And below them are the Security Police who are scattered in company sized garrisons all over the Protectorate, equipped with armored vehicles and heavy weapons, always ready to swoop down on any sign of dissent or rebellion. Below them are the Field Police who patrol the towns and cities to prevent anyone from getting out of line. And below them are…?"

"The Criminal Police." Kate finished for him.

"What do you actually know about the Security Service?" He asked.

Kate stopped and thought. She had heard tons of rumors since she was a child, but she actually knew very little about them. "Not much." She admitted.

"I'm sure it'll surprise you to know that most of the Security Service personnel are overweight, middle aged men who sit behind desks all day and assemble one little fact after another until they have a clear picture of…Something. There are very few dashing super agents, seducing beautiful enemy spies and stealing top secret plans. In fact, there may not be any. So, I had to make Derrick Storm up and all my other characters, including Nikki Heat."

And with that Castle began describing how a pimply faced, poorly dressed teenager was actually a courier, carrying plans that the fate of the whole world depended on. And so on for hours. After a bit, Kate found it interesting as an insight into how a writer worked.

Kate's stomach rumbled. "It's lunch time, Mr. Castle. There's a place not far from here where we can eat although I'm not sure you'd like it."

"I'm sure I wouldn't. After I saw you eat that rectangular thing, mistakenly called a sandwich, you got from a machine yesterday, I decided I'd need to prepare." He pushed something and the center section between the seats opened up. "I have four sandwiches for us. One is a prosciutto and provolone panini, a tuna salad sandwich, a traditional ham and cheese, and a club sandwich. Plus, I have to containers of potato salad, bottled water and bottled orange juice. Take your pick."

Kate took the tuna salad sandwich since she wasn't sure what the others were. The tuna salad sandwiches she'd had previously had been drowned in cheap mayonnaise with a few green _somethings_ added to ruin the taste. This sandwich was truly heavenly. The potato salad was excellent and the orange juice lacked the bitter aftertaste she was used to. She finished her lunch well before Castle.

He looked over to her and smiled. "I suggest you try the panini. It's the one closest to you."

She hesitated for a second and then took the sandwich. She had to ask what it was, and he explained it to her.

The rest of the shift passed quickly enough, then Castle said what she'd been afraid to hear.

"Beckett, I'd like you to come back to my place after the shift so I can get more information on you."

She knew exactly what he wanted and she knew she had no option but to accept.

He drove onto the freeway and headed for the River Tee. She knew that the Elite built their houses so they could see the river so she wasn't too surprised that Castle took the very last freeway exit. He must be almost in the river.

They stopped at a guard post and someone in camouflage with a flak jacket and an assault rifle stepped out to greet them.

"Good evening, Mike. How have you been?" Castle asked.

"Just fine, sir. Are you bringing company?"

"This is Detective Kate Beckett, Homicide, Criminal Police. She's helping me with my next book."

"Sir, our sensors show that Detective Beckett has a sidearm. You know that…"

"I know." Castle said, still smiling. "It's okay. I'll vouch for her."

"Have a good evening, sir. "The guard waved them through.

"Those were Field Police." Kate said.

"Right. Part of the Protective Units. The Elite likes to keep control of everything."

Somehow Kate felt that Castle didn't agree with that kind of protection. She began looking around her. The houses were enormous, with wide, green lawns, shrubs and trees. They pulled into a garage under a two story house.

"Here we are." Castle said, moving to open Kate's door for her, but moving too slow. Kate wasn't used to such courtesy.

"Let me show you around. This is the garage, of course."

The garage was very big. It had to be. In addition to the car he'd just parked, here was another large sedan, a bright red, low slung, sports car, a big, boxy four-wheel drive car, a motorcycle and a boat on a trailer.

"Over here is the pool and the game room. "He opened the door so she could see. Kate was happy to find that the games were all computer games and not the bondage and discipline "games" she'd feared.

They went upstairs in an elevator.

"This is the main floor. My office is over there, the master bedroom and bathroom are there, and the kitchen is, well, you can see the kitchen. The other bedrooms are upstairs."

Kate was amazed. You could fit her entire apartment into the office and have room to spare. The floors were hardwood, covered with what looked like expensive hand-woven rugs. The walls had paintings on them and a few photos. There were expensive looking objects de art scattered around. Interestingly, the walls of the office and bedroom were bookshelves.

"Here, let me take your coat." Castle helped her out of her thin, cloth coat. Kate wondered if she should start undressing or wait for Castle's directions.

"Well, it's dinner time." Castle said, heading for the kitchen. "I was thinking of filet mignon, fresh green peas, and corn on the cob. With a garden salad, of course. Is that okay for you? Oh, and do you want an eight ounce or a ten ounce steak?"

Kate was so surprised she almost didn't reply. "Eight ounce is fine."

Castle busied himself in the biggest kitchen she had ever seen. Then he stopped. "Oh, forgive my bad manners. Would you like some wine? Red or white?"

"White." She managed.

He took out two wine glasses and then went to a separate refrigerator and pulled out a bottle, then opened it. "This is a Chateau d'If, '87. I hope you like it." He handed her a glass and went back to work.

She covertly examined the wine bottle. _Chateau d'If, '87. My god. This wine is older than I am._

Kate decided that if Castle wanted to get her drunk first, she'd play along, although she was sure she could drink Castle under the table.

"I like to wrap the filets in bacon and put some Bearnaise sauce on it. Is that okay?" Kate said it was.

"And what kind of salad dressing? I like bleu cheese, but I have ranch, thousand islands, oil and vinegar, sesame ginger, balsamic, honey mustard…"

"Bleu cheese is fine." Kate said. She couldn't imagine anyone having so many choices for something like salad dressing.

When dinner was served, she hardly knew what to do. The steak was magnificent and the bacon and Bearnaise sauce was, well, magical. The peas were better than any she'd had before. She'd had to watch Castle to figure out how to eat corn on the cob. First slather it in butter, then salt and pepper, then pick up and eat.

For dessert, Castle made her an ice cream sundae with five different flavors and covered in sprinkles, candies and sauces.

"Now it's time to get to work, Detective. Join me on the couch?"

She sat next to Castle, wishing that he'd at least use one of the bedrooms.


	3. Chapter 3

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

"Where were you born?" He asked.

"What?"

"Where were you born? I need to know all about Nikki Heat."

Kate swallowed hard. "Public Hospital Number Five. In Junktown." There. It was out. She looked at Castle but be didn't seem concerned.

"Tell me about your parents."

She took a deep breath, wondering how much she should tell about the life of a Junktown family. "My mother was a waitress at the best restaurant in Junktown. I know that wouldn't impress you, but she was able to bring food home almost every night, so unlike most families, we had meat almost every night. And she was well paid." Kate smiled at the memory that came to her. "She taught me how to cook."

"And your dad?"

"He worked in a bookstore. He would bring home books for me to read and then take them back to be sold."

"Um, you use the past tense." Castle said gently.

Kate forced herself not to cry. "Two customers got into a fight in the restaurant. My mom was caught in the middle. She was stabbed to death. My dad took it hard. He drank. One night as he headed for the local bar, he was rolled. He was hit over the head and his cash stolen. They hit him too hard. He died." All of that was true, if not complete.

"Neither party was ever caught?"

She shook her head. "I was in the police academy by then. No one cared about a couple from Junktown."

Castle changed the topic. "What about your schooling? It seems your dad instilled a love of reading in you."

She nodded and smiled at the memory of her dad bringing home a new book for her. "I was lucky. Three teachers in high school thought I had talent and helped me a lot." Again, true but incomplete. "I took the government placement test, hoping to be a teacher, but I was assigned to the Criminal Police Academy."

"Tell me about your time as a cop."

She told him about her training officer, Mike Royce, and her assignments as a patrol officer, then a detective in Robbery, then Vice and finally in Homicide. All true, but not complete.

"You were the youngest person to ever make detective and you always aimed for homicide. Did you want to find your parent's killers?"

She thought about it. "I suppose it crossed my mind. But I'm sure that those involved are dead or in jail. That's what happens to people like that in Junktown. Mostly I just wanted to get the hell out of Junktown."

Castle continued to ask her questions about her life and she continued to give true, if incomplete answers.

Then he glanced at his watch. "It's 8:30. I should get you home if you're going to keep going to work in the middle of the night."

Unsure of what to say, Kate stood, allowed him to get her coat and help her on with it. Then he took her out the front door.

"My car service is here. They'll get you home. Good night, Detective Beckett. Thanks for your help. I'll see you tomorrow."

The car was a huge limousine. Castle instructed the driver to make sure Kate got home safely.

Once back in her 600 square foot apartment, she moved her furniture and put out her exercise mat. She did calisthenics for an hour to work off the food she'd had that day, then practiced martial arts moves. Finally, she took a shower. When she was done, she examined herself as best she could in her mirror. She had a good face, she knew. Her boobs weren't that big, but while not as firm as they had been when she was a teenager, they still qualified as perky. Her legs and her ass were her best features.

 _Why didn't Castle do anything?_ She wondered. _He was an Elite, after all. Did he have a performance problem? That seemed unlikely. Did he have some Elite girlfriend who'd be upset? That didn't seem to be the Elite way. She'd heard that some Elites considered anyone outside of their class to be beneath contempt. But Castle had gone out of his way to be nice to her._

She fell asleep wondering about Richard Castle.

The next day was anything but exciting. The first call they got was for two members of rival gangs who'd knifed each other to death. With no surviving criminals, there was no need for much police action. Next was a badly decomposed body pulled out of the river, near the commercial port. After a very brief examination, Dr. Parish said the body was too decomposed to identify and no cause of death could be determined. Kate ground her teeth in anger, but could do nothing.

Again, Kate ended up at Rick's mansion, having a wonderful dinner, with an excellent red wine and again found herself talking to Rick on his couch. She couldn't understand why he hadn't made a move on her, but had no wish to tempt fate.

He wanted to talk about criminal's weapons.

"So they all use knives?" He began.

"Some kind of edged weapon or blunt object."

"What are some of the odder weapons used?"

She thought for a second. "There was a gang called the Gentlemen Baggers a half a dozen years or so ago. They used sword canes with a heavy brass head. They'd dress up nicely and go to an upscale store. When they were alone with a customer, they'd hit him over the head with the cane, grab his wallet and valuables and hand it to a well dressed lady with a large handbag. Then they'd yell that a man had fallen over foaming at the mouth, another would scream "Plague!", and everyone in the store would run. If they got into trouble, they'd use their swords."

"No criminals use guns?" Castle asked.

"No….Well…" Kate stopped and blushed.

"Okay, Detective Beckett. Now you _have_ to tell me." He said, smiling.

"Okay. About four years ago some blademan for a gang found several boxes of ammo that had fallen off of a transport. He was a machinist by trade and decided to build an exact copy of a police M&S 9mm automatic. He even put a phony serial number on it. And, he built various things for his house that looked like parts of a gun. For instance, he built a hanging lamp with fourteen hollow steel tubes to carry wiring to the lights. One was the barrel of the gun, the rest weren't, but they looked identical. The wooden handgrips were made to look like dividers in a jewelry drawer and so on. When he killed his first victim, the police were shocked. Every weapon made in the Protectorate is test fired and the bullets are kept and put into a database. For the first time ever, the Field Police had no idea where the gun came from. As the killer kept at it, the Field Police started going crazy. They "knew" the gun must have been made by M&S. The tore the plant apart looking for evidence that someone had made an extra gun. They interrogated every person that had ever worked at M&S."

"How did he get caught?" Castle asked, fascinated.

"Dumb luck. He dropped one of his gang's enemies and two CrimPo uniforms walked around the corner. He shot, they shot and he ended up dead."

"What did the Field Police do?"

"They saw the serial number and went after the man who had been issued that pistol, intending to hang him. But, it was some senior Security Police officer and he had the gun. Very embarrassing."

Castle looked at her. "Something tells me there's more to the story."

"The Field Police were desperate to find out where he'd hidden the gun. They were afraid he had made more weapons and were so desperate that they had Criminal Police involved."

"Including a certain Detective Kate Beckett, I assume?"

She nodded. "I saw scratches on the weapon that looked like it had been assembled and disassembled a lot. I suggested to the Field Police lieutenant that instead of looking for some fiendishly clever hiding place that he had probably taken it apart and hidden the parts in plain sight."

"And what happened."

"He laughed and told me not to worry my pretty little head about it." Kate didn't mention that he'd squeezed her ass and told her to make him a cup of coffee.

"And?" Castle smirked.

"They spent months tearing apart his apartment and everyplace connected with his gang, looking for some fiendishly clever hiding place. It took the Field Police seven more months to find out that he'd hidden the gun in plain sight in his place, just as I said."

"Did you get credit for it?"

She laughed. "The Field Police give credit to me? A lowly Criminal Police investigator? And a woman? That'll never happen."

"So, the moral of the story is to keep your guns safe."

"Castle, no one but the police and the military are allowed to have firearms. It's the death penalty if you're caught with one."

"I have authorization for firearms. I have three, in fact."

Kate had never heard of such a thing. "Mr. Castle, that's not possible. No one, repeat, no one, is allowed to have firearms other than the police and military."

He stood. "Come into my office."

She followed him and watched as he opened a wall safe.

"Here we are, Detective. I have a M&S 9mm like you do, a Spoletto 6mm, like Derrick Storm carries, and because it was the most bad assed gun around, I have a Spencer .50 caliber. And here are my authorizations for them. "

Kate looked the cards over. They were just like her firearms authorization cards, except Castle was described as working for the Ministry of Culture and the card was signed by a Major General in the Security Service.

She was confused. She had never heard of such a thing. "Castle, are you sure these are legitimate? They haven't been cancelled or something?"

"I shoot every couple of weeks at the range at the Ministry of State Security Headquarters. So far no one has tried to have me executed."

"But why?"

"Derrick Storm. He knows firearms inside and out. To write about him, I have to understand firearms. Not just these pistols. I've fired just about every weapon the Ministry of State Security has. I'm pretty good, actually."

"Oh, really?" She said, challengingly.

"Care to try me out, Detective? The 12th Precinct range tomorrow?"

"Deal."

Later Kate worried that if she badly outshot an Elite, he might not be too happy about it and she had no idea what that might involve. She decided to do her best and worry about the consequences later.

She arrived at work extra early and found that Roy Montgomery was also in early. She told him that Castle owned three pistols and that she was afraid that his permits might not be legitimate or expired, or something.

Roy made a quick call to a contact at the Ministry of State Security. His contact grumpily told him, "Dammit, Roy, everyone in MSS knows Castle has those guns. As long as he keeps writing about Derrick Storm, we'll give him a damned tank if he wants one. Now don't bother me with crap like this again." He slammed down the phone.

Roy looked relieved. "I guess you're okay, Detective."

Kate noticed that this was apparently her problem for bringing it to Montgomery's attention. She said nothing.

A half an hour later, Castle came in, carrying a large, locked case.

"I see you brought your pistol."

"Why, Detective Beckett, I brought all three."

Kate rolled her eyes. "The firing range is in the basement. Follow me."

In addition to his weapons, Castle had shooting glasses, gloves and ear protection. Kate put cotton balls in her ears.

"The targets are thirty yards away. Scores are kept by a computer and the best score you can get is 100. Ready?"

Castle nodded and they began shooting. When done, they put down their weapons and waited for the score. Castle's was first.

"And Richard Castle gets….Yes! I scored 97 out of a 100. And Detective Kate Beckett gets…." Castle stopped as Kate's score flashed on the screen.

"It looks like I get 100 out of 100." Kate tried not to gloat.

"You are very good, Detective. Very good indeed."

"You have no idea." She said coyly.

"Um, would you like to try my 6mm Spoletto. I know that Derrick Storm is supposed to be able to shoot the eyelashes off of a gnat at a hundred yards, but the best I've ever done is 78 out of 100."

Kate looked at the pistol. "It's a small gun and your hands are big, maybe that's the problem. I'll try."

Kate set up a target and fired the smaller pistol. Then she got her score. "96 out of 100. But, I'm not really used to the weapon."

"Way to make me feel better, Beckett."

She blushed and began to apologize, then she saw his grin. "Do you want me to try your other pistol?"

"My portable cannon? Every time I've shot the thing, it's knocked me on my butt."

Kate shrugged. "I've never shot one. Can I?"

Castle shrugged and handed her the big weapon. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Like Castle, Kate had also fired every weapon that the Ministry of State Security had, and a few that only the military had. She had a good idea how to fire the massive .50 caliber handgun. She leaned forward and squeezed of a shot. She was pushed back, but she didn't lose her balance. Knowing the recoil, she began to take shot after shot.

"And Detective Kate Beckett gets…." Castle did something resembling a drum roll "….91 out of 100. You know what this means, Detective."

Kate was afraid she had gone too far in outshooting the Elite. "What?" She asked, trying to stay calm.

"I'm taking you to lunch at La Finca."

Kate was stunned. "Castle, I can't go to La Finca."


	4. Chapter 4

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

"Why not?" He asked, puzzled.

"Look at how I'm dressed. I can't go looking like this."

"Nonsense. I've seen women come to La Finca straight from horseback riding, sweaty, boots covered in horse dung and smelling like….Well, smelling. You look fine."

"Castle! Those are Elite women."

"And none of them can hold a candle to you." He glanced at his watch. "It is a bit early for lunch. How about we shoot some more."

"Sorry. I'm out of my monthly allowance of ammunition."

"No problem. I'll just get some more."

"Get more ammo? How?"

"Beckett, I know a guy."

Castle took out his phone and called someone. "Mike? It's me, Rick. I'm doing some research at the 12th Precinct." There was a pause. "Yeah, that one. Can you send a couple of thousand rounds of 9mm?" Pause. "An hour will be fine, thanks."

Kate looked at him after he hung up. "Who was that?"

"Oh, that was Major General Mike Doyle, head of ordnance for the MSS."

"And he'll just send over a thousand rounds?"

"A couple of thousand. Now, shall we shoot?"

Kate was a bit worried, but she drew more ammunition and they continued shooting. Kate won every round, although Castle came close once, only losing 98 to 97. Kate helped him with his grip on the 6mm Spoletto and he scored 88 out of 100. He even tried to fire the .50 caliber Spencer and got knocked on his ass both times. And, within an hour, a messenger arrived with four thousand rounds of 9mm ammo.

He checked his watch. "Okay, it's lunch time. Ready, Detective?"

"Let me clean up and do my makeup. I'll be back in ten minutes."

Kate ran to the lady's room, stripped and washed herself as best she could. Then she went to her locker where she kept a set of her nicer clothes, just in case she had to brief some VIP, then she did her makeup. Looking at herself in the mirror she decided she was not anywhere ready to go to La Finca with Castle.

She walked into the bullpen and smiled at Castle. "You know, we could just go to Remy's. It's close and…."

"I already made reservations. Ready to go?"

Fifteen minutes later they walked into La Finca. A maître d in a tuxedo greeted Castle.

"Mr. Castle, how good to see you again. And your friend…?"

"Henry, certainly you haven't forgotten my dear friend, Katherine Beckett?"

Henry looked properly appalled at his "error". "Miss Beckett. Of course. How good to see you again."

Henry led them to a table. Castle seated Kate, something she wasn't used to.

"Castle." She whispered. "Henry has never seen me before in my life."

He smiled. "True, but soon there'll be rumors all over La Finca that Rick and Katherine are back together. You'll probably be getting invitations to parties."

She couldn't think of anything worse.

Then the menus came. Kate had decided that she'd order the least expensive thing on the menu. However, there were no prices on the menu.

"Castle, I have no idea what most of these dishes are." She whispered.

"May I order for you?"

"Please do."

Suddenly there was another man in a tuxedo standing there. "Wine, Sir?"

Castle nodded. "Miss Beckett has taken an interest lately in the Chateau d'If '87."

"Excellent choice, sir. Just one moment."

The food and the wine were excellent, but Kate was so happy to get back to Castle's car, she let out an obvious sigh of relief.

Castle had a puzzled look on his face. "Didn't you enjoy the lunch?"

"Castle, I felt like everyone in the place was staring at me."

"They were. All the men were staring at you because you were the most beautiful women there, and all the women were looking at you because they were jealous."

"They were only jealous of me because I was with you."

He shrugged. "They were still jealous of you."

"It's easy for you to do this, you were born to the Elite."

He smiled. "Oh? So you think I was born an Elite?"

"You weren't?" Kate suddenly realized she didn't know much about Castle.

"My mother was an actress named Martha Rodgers. You'd have to be a real film buff to remember her. She always played the female lead's best friend, or the secretary of the hero, or maybe the sister of the hero. Later she played a teacher or a nurse, or maybe a government official. We were comfortable, but definitely not Elite."

"How did you become an Elite, then?" Kate had never wondered how one got to be an Elite. They just seemed to exist.

"I wrote a book in college, _In a Hail of Lead._ The Ministry of Culture liked it and published it. It sold way more than they thought it would, so they asked for another book, then another and another. Then I wrote the first Derrick Storm and things took off. The books were more popular than anything the Ministry had ever published. Then there were the Derrick Storm movies, the action figures, the lunchboxes, and the money just rolled in. Oh, I'm nowhere as rich as say, the Minister of Culture, or even someone like the Deputy to the Division Sub-secretary for Coal Extraction at the Ministry of Energy, but I'm a lot better looking, funnier and I can dance better. All of a sudden I could buy a home in an Elite neighborhood, I mixed with the Elite, I went to Elite parties, dated Elite women, and there I was, an Elite myself."

"You're still more at home in La Finca than I ever will be."

"Don't be too sure, Beckett." He said with a smirk.

They left the precinct early and went back to Castle's home. Castle stopped his car at the guardhouse.

"Tommy, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything you want, Mr. Castle." Came the prompt reply.

"Detective Beckett will be coming here regularly. She needs her own ID. Okay?"

"Certainly. Miss Beckett, if you'll please come into the guardhouse?"

Kate quickly had her photo taken, was fingerprinted, DNA was taken and her retinal scans were taken. A small ID badge was handed to her.

"Miss Beckett, this allows you entry to Mr. Castle's home 24/7 and it's indefinite. You can keep your sidearm, of course. You're not allowed access to any other home, although you can go and ask to visit. If you're not with Mr. Castle, you don't have to stop here. Our sensors will pick up your ID as long as you have it with you."

Since they had had such a large lunch, Castle made them sandwiches. They were, as Kate expected they would be, better than anything Kate had ever had.

Rick asked her about her time as a Robbery detective. She told him a number of stories about her time in Robbery. She did not tell him about the obnoxious Robbery detective who kept trying to get her into bed. He had finally dragged her into a storage room and pulled her pants down. She acted like she was resigned to it, so that when he pulled his pants down, she pulled hers up and began kicking him in the crotch. She left him sobbing on the floor. In revenge, he spread a rumor that Kate was male. She didn't care.

"Then there's the toll, of course." Kate said off handedly.

"The toll?"

Kate was surprised he didn't know about that. Perhaps he was naïve. "Suppose you're a store owner and fifty high-end 57 inch TVs get hijacked from your delivery truck. The police recover forty-five and tell you the thieves sold five before they were caught. In reality the cops keep five. Maybe for themselves, but more likely they sell them."

Castle looked at her. "And what kind of a TV do you have, Beckett?"

Kate bridled at the implied insult. "A seventeen inch black and white that my parents had. Would you care to inspect my apartment?"

He smiled at her. "No need to. I already knew I wouldn't find anything out of line."

"You just wanted to get me angry." She accused.

"Sometimes people say the wrong thing when they're angry. Not you, I suspect."

When Kate left, she found an armored limousine waiting for her.

"The Protective Service will take you home from now on, okay?" Castle asked.

Kate could hardly say no.

When she got in, she found that there was both a driver and a guard. Both were in camouflaged fatigues, flak jackets and the guard at least had an assault rifle.

"Miss Beckett," said the guard, "there's both food and drink on either side of you. If there's anything you want that we don't have, we can get it for you."

Kate was beginning to understand just how well the Elite lived. "I'm fine thanks."

Kate was amused when the guard insisted on escorting her to her door in her apartment building, acting like they were deep in Junktown rather than in a collection of buildings reserved for low level government employees.

When the guard came back, he saw the driver was using the night vision equipment.

"Got something, Larry?" He asked.

"A half a dozen scags hanging around the next corner."

"You want me to light them up as we go by?" The guard stroked his assault rifle.

The driver shook his head. "Detective Beckett would hear it and she might come down."

"A CrimPo that cares?" The guard said sarcastically.

"Remember Lt. Price and the guy who built his own pistol?"

"Sure."

"Beckett was the one who suggested to Price that the shooter didn't have some cleverly hidden place for more guns but took it apart and hid the parts in plain sight. Price ignored her and seven months later someone mentioned Beckett's idea to the Sector Commander."

"And?"

"And, Price is in the mountains making sure the trees stay loyal and Beckett is with Richard Castle."

The guard thought for a moment. "You think she's undercover?"

The driver shrugged. "They say ISA has people everywhere."

The next day they knew summer was well and truly over. It was not just cold outside, but the air conditioner in the precinct had finally decided to work, and at full blast. No one could turn it off. Castle and Beckett examined seven bodies that day. All were confirmed to have died of exposure, although Dr. Parish didn't bother to get out of the heated morgue truck to make the calls. It seemed that even the presence of Richard Castle couldn't get her to actually examine the corpses. But Kate was good enough to determine that no foul play was involved.

Back at Castle's home. He ran to turn the heater up. "I know what we need for dinner, Beckett. Chili con carne and cornbread. That'll warm us up."

Kate had no idea what that was, but was happy to stand in front of the heater until there was hot food.

When they were done, Castle asked about her time in Vice. Kate's description of her time there were very brief.

"You're not telling me everything, Beckett. What is it?"

She glared at him. The first time she'd done that. "Oh, you want details? Okay. When I was in Vice, I was always sent undercover as some Junktown whore. That meant a short, low cut dress, with no bra and usually no panties. My fellow Vice officers would always make sure I was properly dressed, or undressed, by groping me. Then I'd get sent into some dump to check the place out and every scag in the place would grope me. One time I found the guy we were looking to arrest and waved at the undercover Vice cops. Then some pimp grabbed me and shoved me against the wall and pushed my dress up. He undid his pants and leaned in. The Vice cops just stood there laughing. Then I bit the guy's nose and grabbed a bottle and slammed it over the pimp's head. Then the undercovers moved. Do you know why? Because the pimp gave the Vice cops free rein with his girls in return for protection. Would you like some more details, Mr. Castle?"

He shook his head slowly. "No. That's more than I needed. None of that goes in the book."

"I thought you wanted to know all about this Nikki Heat." She said angrily.

"Beckett, I apologize for asking you to tell me about that. I had no right to make you go through that. I am truly sorry and I don't want to know anything about your life that makes you uncomfortable or hurts you in any way. Do you forgive me?"

Kate had never had an Elite apologize to her before. She smiled at him. "Castle, what hurt me was what was done to me by those cops, you didn't do any of that. There's no need to apologize."

"I still want you to forgive me."

"Sure. I forgive you, Castle."

"You know, Beckett, I could use a drink. How about a Margarita? It goes with the food we had tonight."

She watched as he made their drinks. "Why is their salt on the rim of the glass?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Because that's how you make the drink."

When it was time for her to leave, she turned around so he could help her on with her coat, something she'd almost gotten used to. As soon as she felt the coat go on, she knew something was wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

"Castle, this is the wrong coat."

"No, this is your coat. "He pulled the coat up over her shoulders.

She looked down at it. "This is a leather coat, mine is…." She stopped and turned around. "Castle, I can't take a gift from you."

He put his hands on her shoulders. For just a second, she felt a jolt from her past, when her father would hold her and tell her that everything would be all right. 'Why not?" He asked, seriously, but with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm just doing my job. The job I get paid to do."

"And you're helping to do my job. Look around you, Kate. What do you see?"

She looked briefly. "It's your home."

"I can afford this home and everything in it and everything else because I make a lot of money writing books. Of course, the Ministry of Culture, who publish my books, make money, too. But Kate Beckett, who works very hard helping me out, gets no money. The least, the very least, I can do when I see my muse shivering in her thin jacket like I did this morning, is buy her a nice, warm coat."

"How did you know my size?"

When she said that, he knew she'd take the coat.

"It's in your police records. I assumed you hadn't changed much since you wore a uniform."

She smiled. "Thank you so very much, Castle. That's very sweet of you."

"Any time, Detective." He smiled back. "And this is just the beginning."

"Castle, you can't…." But he was leading her out the door to where the armored limo was waiting.

When she took the new coat off back at her apartment, Kate noticed the tag. It read: Made for Katherine Beckett by Miss Alicia. Kate checked the coat closely. It was hand stitched and the material and the workmanship was first class. It had a thick, warm lining that was covered in real silk. Castle had given her a coat that was made for Elites by an Elite.

Once in bed, she tried to figure out Richard Castle. He'd bought her a very expensive coat. Okay, he could afford to buy her one for every day of the week, but he didn't have to do anything. And he'd seemed genuinely upset when he'd learned about what she'd gone through in Vice. He'd apologized, something she'd never even heard of an Elite doing to a non-Elite. She also remembered the feeling that washed over her when he'd out his hands on her shoulders. She'd wanted to put her arms around him and just let him hold her.

She rolled over to try to go to sleep. _I can't let myself get involved with an Elite._ She thought. _Nothing good can come of it._

When she got to the precinct the next morning, she got a message from Castle that he was going to be in a meeting at the Ministry of Culture until at least lunch time. Just before noon she got a call from him.

"Beckett, I won't get out of this meeting for a while. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No. That's okay. There are plenty of places to eat around here. Or I can eat a sandwich from the machine."

"A sandwich from the machine? That's not happening. A person could die from eating those sandwiches. I'm going to have my car service pick you up in fifteen minutes and take you to Woody's. it's a sandwich shop that's pretty good. I think you'll like the steak sandwich. I'll order one with the works for you. Okay?"

"Castle…." She began.

"Gotta go. They're calling me. Fifteen minutes." And he hung up.

Woody's wasn't as intimidating as La Finca had been, but it was way nicer than anything she was used to. As she ate her steak sandwich she idly wondered if she'd ever manage to get used to her old life again once Castle left her life.

Castle picked her up outside of the precinct at five o'clock on the dot.

"Was Woody's okay?" He asked.

"Of course."

"Oh, before I forget, you'll be meeting someone new at my place."

"Who?"

He grinned at her. "It's a surprise."

Kate began to worry. Was Castle about to show his true Elite colors? Would she be meeting a group of his male Elite friends who wanted to bed a cop? Or would it be just one man. Perhaps some important Elite that Castle wanted to give a special present to. Or a woman? Either an Elite or perhaps a highly trained courtesan who would do things to Kate that she'd never imagined herself doing? Whatever happened, Kate would be stoic through it all.

They went in through the front door and Kate got a colossal shock. Waiting for them was a young girl, hardly into her teens by Kate's guess. Castle couldn't be so depraved as to expect her to go to bed with him and this girl. Then Kate got another shock.

"DADDY!" The girl screamed and ran to Rick, putting her arms around him and hugging him.

"How was the field trip, Pumpkin?"

"I missed you the whole week. "She grabbed Castle's hand and began to drag him away. "Let me show you what we learned at the observatory."

"Alexis! Manners. We have a guest."

The girl turned around. "Oh! I'm sorry."

"Alexis, this is my good friend Detective Kate Beckett. She's helping me with my book. Kate, this is my daughter Alexis."

The girl held out her hand which Kate took. "I'm very glad to meet you, Miss Beckett."

"I'm glad to meet you, too, Alexis." Kate managed to keep from blushing from embarrassment at what she had thought Alexis was.

"Alexis has been at the Mount Berend observatory for eight days now." Castle looked around. "Oh, I was thinking of making a cauliflower casserole for dinner. Is that okay with everyone?"

"Daddy!" Alexis said sharply. "You promised!"

"Promised what?" Castle did his best to look confused as to what Alexis meant.

"You said we'd have pizza with everything on it when I got home."

"I did? Are you sure?"

"Daddy! You know you did."

"I honestly don't remember that, Pumpkin, but by a wild coincidence I just happen to have a pizza with everything on it in the freezer. I'll start cooking. Why don't you tell Kate what you learned at the observatory?"

Alexis led Kate to her laptop which was sitting on the kitchen island. "Did you study astronomy in school, Kate?"

Kate recalled having an hour long discussion of the solar system in a science class, so she replied, "A little."

Alexis began showing her photos of the fourteen planets in their solar system. "I didn't take these, of course. They were downloaded from the observatory."

As Alexis spoke, Kate discovered that the girl was very well educated.

"This is the planet Cerberus, the largest planet in the solar system. The astronomer said that if Cerberus was just a little bit bigger it would have become another sun and probably made our world uninhabitable."

Alexis brought up another photo. "I'll bet you don't know what this is."

It wasn't a planet, that was for sure. It was some kind of a tubular object with some sort of square wings sticking out from it. "A part of the observatory?" Kate guessed.

"No, it's an artificial satellite. The astronomers said it's a Union spy satellite taking pictures of us from out in space. Since the Shadow War between To-AAn and the Union ended with the collapse of the To-AAn, the astronomers said that the Union is getting ready to attack us. Do you think there'll be a war, Kate?"

Kate had no idea. She rarely watched her TV and never watched the news since it was mostly speeches by Lord Protector Bracken interspersed with mind numbing propaganda. "I really don't know, Alexis. I haven't heard anything that would indicate a war was about to happen."

"I hope not. A war would be terrible. People getting killed and hurt." Alexis shivered, then quickly changed the subject. "Where did you go to school, Kate?"

Kate took a breath. Time to get it over with. "Public High School Number Eight. In Junktown."

Oddly, Alexis seemed impressed. "Wow! You must be awfully smart to have come so far."

"I had help." Kate said, modestly.

"Pizza's ready, ladies." Rick called. "One white wine for Kate and one lemonade for Alexis as well."

After dinner, Rick retired to his office to start work on his next story while Kate and Alexis watched a movie. It was a silly movie about a princess who was kidnapped, but managed to escape with the help of a young peasant. After many adventures, the princess and the peasant returned to her castle and lived happily ever after. Although she thought it was silly, Kate remembered watching similar movies as a kid and wishing some handsome boy would come and take her out of Junktown. But she had gotten out of Junktown on her own.

Back at her apartment, Kate lay in bed looking up at her darkened ceiling. She had decided that Richard Castle wasn't going to tear off her clothes and drag her into his bed. He was really a nice person, a great father and he was her friend. For now.

When Castle arrived the next morning, Kate already had her murder board set up.

"Who's the victim?" He asked.

"Tina Donaldson, age fifteen, blonde hair and blue eyes. Five feet and two inches tall, one hundred and three pounds."

"Cause of death?"

"She's a kidnap victim."

"I thought you only did homicides."

"Four girls, age fourteen to seventeen, all blondes with blue eyes and a slim build have been found murdered in the last two months. They were sexually assaulted, severely beaten and strangled. We're hoping we can get to Tina before she's killed."

"Who are these?" Castle pointed to a group of photos on the far side of the board.

"Possible suspects. People in her building, a creep across the street, others in the neighborhood. We have nothing on them except they live in her area."

Castle examined the photos. "Here's one. Gerald Tyson. I know that name." He pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Beckett asked.

"Linking up with my computer at home." Castle fiddled with his phone. "Here he is. I was on a patrol with the Field Police about five years ago. We came across Tyson fighting with a young blonde. When they saw us, the girl ran and we caught Tyson. He said it was just an argument with his girlfriend."

"So the Field Police had to let him go?"

"Yes, but they broke both of his arms first."

"We should go ask this Tyson some questions." Beckett said, getting up.

Officers Lockwood and Marks met them about a block from where Tyson lived.

"Good morning, Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett." Lockwood said with a smile.

"We'll walk to his flop." Beckett said. "Hopefully he won't see us coming." She turned to Castle. "And this time, Mr. Castle, stay outside. If he's our guy, he's dangerous."

"Even is he's not, he's still dangerous. "Marks added.

Arriving at his apartment, Beckett placed Castle a good ten feet from the door and silently picked the lock. They entered the apartment silently. There was a front room, a bedroom and a bathroom. All were empty.

They were standing in the bedroom when Castle said, "Doesn't this bedroom look awfully small to you?"

Before Beckett could reprimand him for entering the apartment, the wallboard in the bedroom came crashing down and Gerald Tyson came out, screaming and aiming a club at Castle. He blocked it with his arm and Kate reacted at once, punching Tyson in the solar plexus and then head butting him under the chin. Both Lockwood and Marks reacted, grabbing Tyson. Marks held him while Lockwood punched him in the stomach repeatedly.

Castle was on the ground.

"Castle!" Kate screamed. "Are you hurt?"


	6. Chapter 6

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

"My arm hurts and…damn! My new coat is torn."

"Castle, take off your coat and roll up your sleeve."

"Why, Detective Beckett, we hardly know each other."

"No jokes. Do it. If you're hurt, Montgomery will have me pulling long dead bodies out of the river from now on."

Castle took off his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeve. "There, nothing but a nasty bruise."

"You could have a hairline fracture. I have to call the paramedics." Kate reached for her phone, but Castle stopped her.

"There's no need for you three to get into trouble on my account. I can call my doctor and ask her to drop by tonight."

This seemed to be the first time that Lockwood and Marks realized they might be in trouble as well as Kate. Then two one-hundred sovereign bills appeared as if by magic on a damaged table. Just as quickly they vanished.

"I didn't see Mr. Castle get hurt." Lockwood said.

"Me either." Added Marks.

"And we seem to have recovered Tina Donaldson alive." Castle said.

There in the hidden room Tyson had built was the beaten and bruised, but still alive young blonde.

"It looks like Tyson liked to keep souvenirs." Kate said, once Tina had been hauled out. "Photographs, underwear, bloody clothing, and what looks like a diary." She flipped through the pages. "He's been at this a long time. There's enough here to send you for the short drop, Tyson."

The killer tried to lunge at her and got a broken nose for his trouble.

When they finally got back to Castle's that evening, Alexis was waiting at the door. "Dad! Dr. Baldwin called. She'll be here in ten minutes. What happened? Did you get shot? How badly are you hurt? Is there anything I can do until the doctor arrives? Do you need me to boil water?"

Castle put his arms around his daughter. "I'm fine, Alexis. I just got a little bruise on my arm. I only called Dr. Baldwin so Kate wouldn't worry."

"Well, I am worried, Castle. I'm responsible for you, remember?"

"No, I'm responsible for me. Always have and always will be."

"Dad, you are not responsible at all!" Alexis wailed.

Luckily for everyone, Dr. Baldwin showed up. She was a tall, slender, sixtyish woman who arrived pulling a large suitcase behind her.

"What have you done now, Rick?"

"I have a little bruise on my arm and everyone is getting all worked up over nothing."

"Hmph!" The doctor barked. "Remember the last time I had to come see you?"

"No need to bring that up." He said quickly.

"Dad jumped into a lake to save Nancy Jenkins' dog. He said it was nothing and he ended up with pneumonia."

"And some deep scratches." Castle added.

"Because the dog could swim and he had no idea what you were trying to do. Neither did you, of course." Said the doctor. "Now let me see your arm."

Castle took off his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeve. The doctor used something Kate suspected was a very small X-ray machine to examine it.

"No fracture, not even a hairline fracture. But it is a nasty bruise. I'm going to put something on it to lessen the pain. Try not to use the arm for a few days."

"A few days?" Castle groaned. "I have to write."

"I'd suggest that your girlfriend knock some sense into that thick head of yours, if I thought it would do any good."

Kate blushed at being called Castle's girlfriend.

While Castle insisted he was fine, Dr. Baldwin put a painkiller in his arm and then put a bandage over it. "The bandage is to keep you from washing the painkiller off. You two ladies keep an eye on him."

Alexis and Kate thanked Dr. Baldwin who left.

"I guess I should have told Dr. Baldwin that I'm not your girlfriend." Kate said.

"Why not? You're a girl and you are my friend. Therefore, girlfriend."

Kate blushed again and changed the subject. "Did you really jump into a lake to try to save a dog?"

"In my defense, Alexis and Nancy were standing there screaming. I had to do something."

"Daddy! We were screaming to Cosmo to swim to shore."

"Cosmo. What a dumb name for a dog." Castle muttered.

"I think you were very brave, Castle." Kate said with a smile.

"And very dumb." Alexis added.

"I didn't say that." But Kate did giggle.

"Okay ladies. I'm going to make us all dinner and then I need to start writing. Alexis, after dinner Kate can help you with your homework and then you two can watch a movie or play a game until it's time for Kate to go home."

Kate quickly discovered that she was no help with Alexis' homework, but she did learn a lot.

Later that night at home, Kate wondered about her relationship with Castle. He had called her his girlfriend, but not in a serious manner. She found that she very much enjoyed being with both Castles and being their friend was a good thing. She knew it couldn't last.

Four days later she arrived at Castle's home in midmorning, happy that she had three days off and could spend them with the Castle's. But when the door opened, Alexis was standing there in her winter coat.

"Good, you're just in time. Your appointment is in forty five minutes."

"My appointment for what?" Kate asked, confused.

"We're going to a party." Castle said, coming into the living room. "You need to get the full spa treatment today. Oh, Alexis, how about the red dress for Kate tonight."

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Really? The red dress? It shows way too much of Kate. She'll wear the black one. The _long_ black one."

"What party?" Kate asked, still confused.

Castle handed her a beautifully hand written invitation on parchment. She read it. "William James requests the presence of Mr. Richard Castle and Miss Katherine Beckett at his home at…"She stopped. "Who is this William James?"

"He's the Minister of Finance."

Kate was stunned. "The Minister of Finance! I can't go there. Everyone will know that I'm some CrimPo from Junktown."

"Everyone will know that you're Miss Katherine Beckett and that you're with Richard Castle. Now hurry along with Alexis."

Kate rarely did anything with her hair and wore little makeup since she felt it would only attract men who just wanted to get in her pants. Hours later she returned to the Castles' with her hair done up and with more makeup on than she had ever worn. She'd had a manicure and a pedicure as well as having had her legs waxed. Her fingernails were a shade of bright red she'd never used before and her toenails were a hot pink.

"Come on into the bathroom, Kate." Alexis said. "We need to get you dressed."

Kate had never used the bathroom but wasn't surprised that it was huge, with a gigantic shower and two sinks. Beside one sink were towels that said "Hers".

"Hers?" Kate said, pointing.

Alexis looked disgusted. "I don't know what Dad keeps those. They belonged to my mother. She left us years ago." Then the redhead smiled. "We need to get you dressed. Strip."

Kate was a bit uncomfortable with Alexis seeing her cheap cotton bra and panties, especially when the girl took out a set of very sheer silk undergarments. "Your legs are so good you won't need to wear stockings, but I bought you a few dozen pairs for later."

"Later?"

"You'll be going to more parties with Dad."

Once dressed, she looked at herself in a full- length mirror.

"You are totally gorgeous." Alexis said with a big smile.

"I kind of am." Kate conceded.

"The car's here." Castle called. "Are you ladies ready?"

"Not quite." Alexis called. "I have some jewelry for you to wear. There's a pearl choker necklace, a pearl bracelet and pearl earrings. They used to belong to my grandma. They'll look perfect with your black dress."

When Kate came out Castle gave a long low whistle. "You're spectacular, Kate."

However, once in the town car, Kate had second thoughts. "Castle do we have to do this? I feel like a compete phony."

"Just pretend you're going undercover."

That didn't make Kate feel any better, but she decided to try it.

When they arrived at the Minister of Finances' enormous mansion, Kate could hardly believe that just one family lived here. They were dropped off at the front door, which Kate figured was wide enough to fit Castle's home through, if not quite tall enough. They were met by a well dressed, and distinguished man: Tall, slim and with just a touch of grey in his hair.

"Richard, so good to see you again. Thank God you could come. At least there will be one intelligent person to talk to tonight." Then his eyes lit on Kate. "And this must be Miss Katherine Beckett. She's beautiful, as I would expect, but I imagine she has quite a brain as well. Welcome to my home, Miss Beckett."

"Please call me Kate." She found herself saying.

"Then you must call me Bill."

"Are you really cashing out and going back to the Commonwealth Capitol?" Castle asked.

"Yes, I am. Oh, I know everyone says that seventy five million isn't much for a Finance Minister, but I don't want to be like old Ed Thorpe, chasing just one more million until he was too old to enjoy it. Besides, since my older brother has died, I inherited the family estates and businesses. I'm quite well off even without the seventy five million."

"Everyone will miss you." Castle said.

He laughed. "Everyone will be kissing up to the new Minister before I'm even out the door. Everyone except you and a few others." He suddenly looked past Rick and Kate. "Here comes Charles and his new wife. She'll be pestering him to ask me for a low interest loan of some sort. You two should flee."

"Seventy five million?" Kate whispered as they walked away.

"He's the Finance Minister. Billions pass through his hands every day. Some of it sticks. Sort of like the police tolls. Are you surprised that there's corruption at this level?"

She nodded. "I just always assumed the Elites always had money."

"That's what they want you to think."

It wasn't until later that Kate realized that Castle had referred to the Elites as them and not us.

The party was held in a massive ballroom, with a live orchestra at either end. There were hundreds of people there and every one of them seemed to Kate to be looking at her. She expected at any moment that someone would point at her and say, "She's from Junktown. She doesn't belong here." But after a while, Kate found the party quite boring. The talk was almost always about possessions. One man bragged about his new boat, another about his hunting lodge. A woman described in great detail her new jewelry, another spoke of her new sports car. All of the men looked at her with the predatory gleam in their eyes she remembered from other Elite men she'd met. She found herself standing as close to Castle as she could and putting her arm around him.

Castle was the exception. He told jokes, quipped with men about their golf games and flirted harmlessly with the women. Everyone seemed to like Castle.

Suddenly, Castle stared across the room. "Kate, there's someone over there I just have to talk to. Will you be alright here for just a few moments?"

Before she could beg him to take her with him, he spoke again to someone behind her.

"Ethan, there you are. Could you watch out for Miss Beckett for me for a few minutes?"

Kate turned around to see who Ethan was and got a shock. Ethan was not only several inches taller than Castle, he was fifty pounds heavier, the extra weight being all muscle. His black uniform had the scarlet shoulder boards and the scarlet skull and crossbones collar patches of the dreaded Internal Security Activity. The ISA reported directly to Lord Protector Bracken and were completely ruthless. There was no appeal from the ISA.

"I'd be happy to, Rick. I'm Captain Ethan Slaughter. Miss Beckett, they're playing a waltz. Would you care to dance?"

Kate was terrified but danced with the massive ISA man. Expecting to get groped, Kate was surprised when he held her lightly by the hand and shoulder. She was even more surprised when he made unflattering comments about the people who danced around them.

When the dance was over, he took her to get a glass of champagne. As she gratefully sipped the drink, she looked around for Castle. She saw him in a small alcove chatting with an elderly couple.

Suddenly, they were approached by an Air Force officer who seemed to be quite drunk. "I think I'll show this young thing around the place. Especially upstairs. "He slurred.

"The young lady is busy." Slaughter said coldly.

"See here. D'you know who I am?"

Slaughter leaned over so his scarlet insignia was fully visible. The officer turned white and backed away, apologizing profusely.

"Useless Air Force pilots." Slaughter said. Kate had never heard anyone criticize the military before and the shock must have shown on her face. Slaughter laughed. "If you can't get the truth from the ISA, who can you get it from, Miss Beckett? The pilots treat the Air Force like a private flying club. They show up in the late morning, have some food at the Officers' Club, then do a bit of flying. Nothing difficult or that requires a high G loading, just a nice lazy flight around the sky. If they ever have to fight anyone, they'll all be dead."

Just then, Castle came back and another man joined them.

"What were you and Count James and Countess Marie laughing about, Rick?"

Castle laughed. "If I told you, Paul, we'd have an international incident on our hands. Best I not say a word."

Paul laughed as well. "You always keep us laughing, Rick. God, but most times you're the only one here worth talking to." And off Paul went.

"Any problems, Ethan?"

Slaughter just grinned and walked off.

"A Count and a Countess?" Kate asked.

"James is a retired diplomat from the Empire. He was based here for many years and retired to the Imperial Province of New South Hibernia, just across the River Tee from us. They're a lovely old couple. I always try to chat with them."

"How did you meet Slaughter?"

Castle shrugged. "I pulled a thorn out of his paw once."


	7. Chapter 7

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

Kate found the rest of the party boring, but held onto Castle's arm the whole time as people talked about their possessions while Castle made an occasional witty remark. She could well understand why some people were so glad Castle came to these parties.

When they finally left, it was snowing hard. Thankfully, the town car driver had the heater turned way up.

As they pulled away from the party, the driver called them on the intercom.

"Mr. Castle, I've been talking to dispatch. It's been snowing very hard in Miss Beckett's neighborhood and her street is especially slick. I'm not sure we could make it there."

Castle looked at her. "You could stay with us. We have spare bedrooms. You'd be okay."

"I know I'd be okay. I'll stay at your place tonight."

They had been driving for only a few minutes when Kate spoke. "I am so glad that's over. Most of the men were undressing me with their eyes and half the women wanted me gone. And how long will it be before they find out I'm just Detective Kate Beckett from Junktown?"

"I don't know. There is a rumor circulating that you're an Imperial Princess, travelling here incognito."

"An Imperial Princess? How could a crazy rumor like that get out?"

"Count James "accidentally" referred to you as Princess Katherine before his wife firmly reminded him that you were _Miss_ Beckett. There was a drinks waiter near them and he heard it all. The gossips pay the staff to bring the tidbits like that. Jimmy has quite a sense of humor."

"And how long will it take them to find out I'm not Princess Katherine?" Kate said angrily.

"Probably forever. When Andrew the Great founded the Empire some 500 years ago, he made all of his brothers and sisters and all of his children princes and princesses. And he decreed that all of their descendants, forever, would also be princes and princesses. Aside from the current Emperor's immediate family, the Imperial Court won't release any information about the many thousands of princes and princesses out there. If someone were to ask them if you really are a Princess, the Imperial Court would be deeply insulted."

"You put him up to it, didn't you?"

"You don't need to thank me." He replied.

Alexis seemed to be thrilled that Kate was staying the night and rushed around putting clean sheets on the bed and finding various things Kate would need.

"Kate, I have a toothbrush for you and toothpaste. Oh, and mouthwash and there's a new bar of soap in the bathroom. And I have this for you to wear. It's a nightdress that I got as a gag gift at party a few months ago. It's big enough for the two of us. Is it okay?"

"Everything's just fine, Alexis. You didn't have to go to so much trouble for me."

"No trouble." The redhead replied.

When Kate went to bed that night, she intentionally left her bedroom door open. When she awoke alone in her bed the next morning, she was both pleased and disappointed.

She quickly got up, used the bathroom and went downstairs to the kitchen. Not sure what Rick and Alexis liked, she began cooking a little bit of everything. After a while, Castle came down, bed-headed, and wearing a robe over his pajamas.

"Beckett, what are you doing?"

"Making breakfast. What does it look like I'm doing?" She teased.

"You don't need to do that."

"My mother taught me how to cook, and after all you and Alexis have done for me, it's the least I can do. Now go get dressed. Breakfast will be in a little bit."

"Breakfast?" Said a sleepy voice from the top of the stairs. "Kate's making breakfast?"

"I am. So, you'd better hurry up and get dressed."

Kate had decided that staying overnight with the Castles had to be a one time thing. She refused to get involved with a man when it was obvious that it would end and end quite soon. But a week later Kate had gotten into a computer game against Alexis. The game pitted Alexis' knowledge of the game against Kate's hand-eye coordination and tactical knowledge. By the time Kate finally won, it was very late.

"Kate, you look exhausted. I shouldn't have kept you up so late. Why don't you stay the night?"

Kate wanted to tell Alexis no, that she'd be fine, but she could hardly keep her eyes open. She allowed the girl to lead her upstairs and to bed.

Kate began staying with the Castles more and more often. She rationalized it by telling herself that since Castle was busy writing the book, he was spending less time at the precinct. He only came in when there was an interesting and complex case. She did enjoy the friendship of Rick and Alexis and nothing was going on between her and Rick, so why not be with them more?

She soon found that her bathroom at the Castles was acquiring a lot of expensive lotions, body washes, shampoos and perfumes that she never could have bought for herself. She also found that the party dresses Castle had bought for her had migrated to her closet, along with underwear, hosiery and wraps. Then new and expensive clothing began filling her closet, allegedly bought by Alexis on one of her shopping trips.

"Oh, Kate. "The redhead said. "I saw this and I knew it would look perfect on you. I hope you don't mind that I bought it for you. It didn't even make a dent in my allowance."

Although she was positive that Rick was behind the presents, she found she couldn't turn Alexis down and her closet slowly filled up as did her chest of drawers.

When Castle suggested that she start using his car instead of her usually broken down cruiser she had tried to argue with him.

"Castle, that's an expensive car. What if I had an accident?"

"It's insured, and what do I need with a car with a police comm system, computer, an EMT kit and all the rest? And if you had an accident, you're a lot less likely to get out of it unhurt than in that death trap the police gave you."

She had argued further, but to no avail.

Her car, her new and expensive wardrobe and her new social life had caused some resentment with her so called team. And just as quickly as it had arisen, it faded away. Her team seemed suspiciously happy with her newfound situation. A little checking revealed why.

Captain Montgomery was getting a half a dozen bottles of expensive whiskey a month from Castle. He certainly was much mellower than Kate had ever seen him in the past.

Detective Kevin Ryan was a cardplayer. He had been given an expensive membership in a card club that Castle had told him he'd won but couldn't use as he preferred to play cards at home with his old friends. Ryan seemed to have a gift for finding a weak card player and his income rose noticeably.

Esposito, a fan of the Rowdies fastball team, was given two season tickets that Castle told him he had bought for a friend who had suddenly been recalled to the Commonwealth Capital. Since he couldn't use them, he asked if Espo could use them.

Karpowski had gotten front row season tickets to a sports club that featured women's bare knuckle boxing. Karposwki's hobby didn't surprise Kate at all.

Lockwood and Marks seemed to be flush with cash these days, as well.

A month later, Kate was finishing doing the breakfast dishes when the doorbell rang.

"Castle. Someone's at the door." She called again and got no answer. She looked into his office and found out why. He was deep in his writing zone and probably wouldn't have heard a cannon go off. She went to answer the door. Standing there was a tall, fashionably dressed blonde woman. Quite attractive as well.

"You must be Kate Beckett. Is Rick in?"

"And you are?" Kate asked, suddenly suspicious of the woman and of Rick.

"I'm Gina Cowell." Seeing no hint of recognition, she continued. "Deputy Assistant Product Supervisor with the Ministry of Culture?" Then she added. "I'm basically Rick's editor for his books."

Feeling a bit foolish for keeping the woman waiting at the door, Kate quickly let her in.

"Rick is in his office writing."

"I imagine he is. This is the first time in years that I haven't had to come to his house to complain about him being late with his promised chapters."

"I'll let you be alone with Rick since you have business to discuss." Kate started to walk away.

"Oh, no, Miss Beckett, you come with me."

Kate wasn't too happy about this, but soon found herself in Rick's office with the blonde.

"Rick, "Gina said, taking something out of her bag, "here is the final proof of _Storm's Challenge._ It's all set to be published. Everyone, and I mean everyone, at the Ministry loved it. The Minister himself even asked for a copy. Even grumpy old George Brewer thought it was good. And that's about all the praise you'll ever get from him. But, I did want to ask some questions about some of the crimes mentioned as the background. Are you sure those were real crimes that you heard about from Kate, or did you make them up?"

"Kate's right here. Why don't you ask her?" Rick replied, smirking.

"I intend to do just that."

Kate was then grilled about crimes she had told Castle about and one that they had investigated together. She was getting a little angry at Gina as she seemed to disbelieve everything Kate said.

"I thought so." Gina finally said. "Sorry I had to play devil's advocate with you Kate, but I thought there was a definite feminine note to Rick's writing that has never been there before. You seem to have had quite an effect on him. And for the better." She turned back to Rick. "I have to go now, Rick. You let Kyra get away, which considering her family was a good thing. You should have let Meredith go ten seconds after you met her. Don't let this one go, Rick. You two are so much more than the sum of your parts." And with that, Gina left.

"You probably want to know about Kyra and Meredith." Rick said, uncomfortably.

Kate shook her head. "No, you don't owe me any explanations." Although she really wanted to know.

"You'll hear about them anyway, and I rather you hear about them from me." Rick stared at the ceiling, gathering his thoughts. "Kyra was my first love. We met in college just as I was starting to write my first novel. We were inseparable. And her mother, Sheila, hated me. No mere writer, even one with a best seller, was good enough for her daughter. One day Kyra said she was going on a trip to clear her mind. I didn't see her again for about fifteen years. When I did, she was married to some guy from old money. People who'd always had money. To me, he was about as exciting as a mashed potato sandwich on white bread, but Kyra seemed happy. Maybe she was just glad her mother wasn't constantly complaining about her choice of men."

"I don't think you would have been happy with Kyra."

Rick laughed. "That is 100 percent true, Kate. Now Meredith was my wife. She was bright, funny, adventurous and an actress, so our careers sort of meshed. One day when Alexis was about seven…."

"I was six, Daddy." Alexis said from the door.

"Pumpkin! What are you doing home from school?"

"Half day school, remember? Teacher's meeting."

"Okay, Alexis was six. We'd been out at a concert but the lighting in the theater went out just as we started. They couldn't fix it, so we headed for home. When we got here Meredith was on the couch with some producer. They were…." Castle looked at Alexis and blushed.

"Kate, they were fucking." Alexis said.

"Alexis! We do not use that kind of language in this house."

"That's exactly what they were doing. You can't expect me to call it making love, can you?"

"Alexis, you apologize to Kate this instant for using that word."

"Rick, Alexis, I'm a cop. I hear worse than that every day. You don't…"

Castle cut her off. "You do not hear that from my daughter. Alexis, apologize."

"Kate, I'm very sorry I said that word in front of you. I respect you enormously for what you've done with your life and for what you've done for my dad and me. Please accept my apology."

Kate wasn't sure what she had done for Rick and Alexis, but she decided this was not the time to ask. "Alexis, I accept your apology."

"Anyway, Meredith was on the couch and we were…upset." Castle finished lamely.

"Meredith was screaming and I thought that man was hurting her, so I ran over and hit him. He hit me back." Alexis said angrily.

"To make a long story short, Meredith decided a producer made more sense than a writer, so she filed for divorce. She got a lot of money and I got Alexis."

"The only time she ever contacts us is when she needs a favor from Daddy. I haven't heard from her on my birthday since I was six."

"And to cover all of my bases, Gina and I did date. It wasn't successful and it didn't last long. When I wanted to have fun, she wanted to talk about how many chapters I was behind. When I was brimming over with ideas for a new Derrick Storm, she wanted a quiet dinner. We're much better as writer and editor."

"You didn't have to tell me all this, Rick, but I'm glad you did. Thanks."

"And now, you have to read the thrilling adventures of Derrick Storm in _Storm's Challenge_. You can curl up on the couch and we won't bother you."


	8. Chapter 8

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

Kate curled up on the couch and read the book in one sitting. The book began with Derrick Storm infiltrating a top secret Union weapons lab, seducing a beautiful Union scientist and stealing the plans for a deadly missile. However, when Storm was on his way to the Headquarters of the Security Service, he was attacked, shot with a paralyzing dart and immobilized. The plans were taken from him and a Union thug came at him with a knife, intending to kill him while he was helpless. He was saved by a CrimPo detective, Nikki Heat. However, the plans were long gone. Defying convention and his bosses, Storm insisted on working with Detective Heat. There followed a dizzying array of red herrings, plot twists and dead ends before Storm and Heat found a mole in the upper ranks of the Security Service and recovered the plans. The book ended with Storm and Heat forming a wary partnership of sorts.

When she was done, Castle immediately asked her how she had liked it.

"I loved it, but…." Kate wasn't sure how to tell Castle what she didn't like.

"Kate, if you didn't like something, just tell me, okay?"

"Rick, Nikki Heat looks and dresses like a super model, and I could never afford the townhouse she lives in. Your Captain Montrose is like Nikki's favorite uncle. Roach, your version of Ryan and Esposito, are like her brothers, not a couple of head breakers."

"Do you remember what I told you about the Security Service? They're really a bunch of middle-aged men who sit behind desks and add one tiny fact to another until they have a picture of, I don't know, Union naval deployments, unrest among our peasants, or whatever. There may not be any super spies like Derrick Storm, brave, daring, caring, compassionate, and dedicated, but there should be. And there may not be any CrimPos like Nikki Heat, but there should be. And you come pretty close, Kate. Plus, you're beautiful enough to be a super model."

Kate blushed at the compliment, but her mind was focused on what the end of the book meant. Castle had no more reason to follow her around.

"So, I guess the successful end of the book means…"

"I start a new book. In fact, Gina sent me a proposed cover for it just last week." He held out a book cover. The cover featured a woman holding a gun and the title, _Heat Wave_.

"I don't get it. Your titles always have Storm in…." Then Kate got it.

"Duh, Detective Beckett. My next book will be about Nikki Heat. The Ministry of Culture _loved_ the character Nikki Heat. They want me to write one about Nikki, oh, Storm will be in at the very beginning and the very end, then another Derrick Storm with some Nikki and then another book with them as partners. They want to continue that way for a very long time. We're going to be partners for a very long time, Kate. A very long time, indeed."

Kate spent a lot of time trying to decide what being partners with Castle for a long time really meant. But she was beginning to have an idea.

She was still thinking about it when they went to their next party. They were talking to a couple that Kate actually liked, Dr. Paul Whittaker and his wife, Ann, who was a medical student. She was so engrossed in talking to Paul and Ann, that she didn't hear who Castle was talking to until the woman grabbed Castle and tried to pull him away.

"Come on, Rick." She said too loudly "It'll be fun. You used to like fun."

"Melanie, I'm obviously with someone. Please leave."

Before anyone could say more, the host and two large security men arrived to haul Melanie off.

"Do you think you're too good for me now that you have some Imperial slut?" Melanie screamed, then began cursing the security men.

The host hurried back. "Rick, Miss Beckett, I am so sorry for that. I apologize for this whole unfortunate incident."

Kate was amused that the Elite would ever so slightly stress the word "Miss" when talking to her, as if they wanted her to know who she truly was and they could be trusted to keep the secret of her Imperial birth.

"Problem?" A familiar voice asked. It was Captain Slaughter, who always seemed to appear when there was a problem.

"Not any more, Ethan." Castle said, a bit shakily. "Just a woman who's had too much to drink."

Slaughter nodded and moved away.

"It's none of my business…" Kate began but was cut off by Castle.

"It is your business." He drew her into an alcove. "Melanie and I had a history some years ago. It was after my divorce from Meredith and I was in particular need of…well, fun."

"And she provided it?"

"She did. But I hadn't seen her for years until she called a couple of days ago. She told me she'd gotten married a few years back, but that her husband had lost interest in her after they had two sons. I mean he really lost interest in her. He had several mistresses and ignored her completely."

"She wanted to get back at him by sleeping with you?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what, exactly?"

"The marriage between Melanie and her husband George Andrews was a marriage of convenience meant to unite the two families both politically and economically. Apparently, George went to some effort to woo Melanie, but he understood from the start that this was an arranged marriage and that all he had to do was to provide the two families with some male children and then his job was done. Melanie never understood that, no matter how many times it was explained to her. She thought she had a love match and wanted it back. She could have made love to me and every man here in public and George wouldn't have cared. He never cared for Melanie and never will."

"That's sad."

"She's been getting more and more desperate. George is an official with Naval Procurement. He recently managed to get an extra five percent from the maker of a naval radar system."

"An extra five percent?" Kate asked.

"A toll, just like the police, except there's more money involved. Anyway, Melanie was threatening to tell everyone that George took a bribe. Actually, everyone knows. Both George's bosses and his subordinates got a taste so they don't care. But it would be slightly embarrassing for Melanie to go around telling everyone."

"What will happen to Melanie?"

"A divorce. George and the two families can't afford to have a loose cannon like Melanie causing trouble."

"Rick, what's going to happen to Melanie as a person?"

"I wish I knew, Kate. I wish I knew."

Not surprisingly, the party broke up soon after the incident. As they were driven back in Castle's town car, Kate asked him for something. "Rick, could we stop at my place? There's something I want to show you."

"We can do anything you want."

Kate smiled. That was exactly what she had in mind.

As soon as they entered Kate's apartment, Castle headed for her bookshelf. "Kate, you have all of my books. Here's _In a Hail of Lead_ , _At Dawn we Die_ , and even _A Lily for Forever_. Why, Detective Beckett, you're a Richard Castle fan."

"A fan of the genre, rather. I do have other books." She teased.

Rick was busy looking through the books when he came across his signature. "I signed _Storm's Mission_ for you." He read what he had written. "Kate, Do what you love and you'll always be happy." Do you want me to autograph the rest?"

"Later, but now we need to talk."

"That sounds serious."

Kate took a deep breath. "You aren't the first Elite I've dealt with, Rick. Those were pretty simple. It was, "Take off your clothes, bitch, on you back, on the bed and spread those legs."

Rick was shocked. "Kate, I could never treat you like that. You're the most remarkable woman, no the most remarkable person, I've ever met. You mean too much to me to do something like that."

"I know that, Rick. But what's wrong with me? We work together, we even live together, practically, and yet you show no interest in taking us to the next level."

"Kate, I know, to some extent, what your life has been like. What you've had to put up with to get where you are. I just can't take a chance on losing what we have."

Kate nodded. "In that case, get those clothes off, stud and get on my bed, on your back. Now."

"What?' Was all Castle could say.

"You heard me big boy. Now get those clothes off and get on my bed, or do I have to get rough with you."

Kate reached behind her and unsnapped her gown and pulled the zipper down. The black dress fell down and pooled around her ankles. She was left wearing a very sheer black bra and panty set with black silk hose held up by pink garters. She glared at Castle and pinched his ass. "Get those clothes off."

Castle began rapidly pulling his clothes off while Kate leisurely finished undressing. She carefully picked her clothing up from the floor and hung them over the back of a chair. Castle was on his back on her bed and fully erect when she walked into her bedroom.

 _By God, I'm wet._ She thought as she swung her leg over him and impaled herself on him.

Much later the two of them happily snuggled together. Castle felt something warm and wet fall onto his arm. After a second, he realized it was a tear. Kate was crying.

"Honey, did I hurt you? Did I do something you don't like? Kate, please tell me. Why are you crying?"

"Do you know what you did, Castle? You made me come five times. I had five orgasms."

Castle had no idea what that meant. "Then why are you crying?"

"I had a boyfriend my last year of high school. We made love two or three times a week, whenever our parents weren't around and we could find some place private. In the year we were together, I came exactly twice."

"Um, isn't five a good thing, then?" Castle asked, very unsure of what was going on.

Kate rolled on top of him, pushed her boobs into his chest and kissed him, long, hard and passionately. "Let me tell you about what I had to go through to get here."

"Kate, I don't need to…" He found further conversation had been stopped by Kate's mouth.

"Just be quiet, Rick. I'm going to tell you this and you're going to listen. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I told you my mom worked in the best restaurant in all of Junktown, Finn Roarke's. In order to keep her job, she had to sleep with her boss, his friends, good customers, whoever the boss told her to."

"Why didn't she just quit?"

Kate kissed him again. "Because she made four times as much as my dad and she got to bring lots of food home for us. They were determined to get me out of Junktown, no matter the cost. One night, two good customers got into a fight over which one would fuck my mom first. She tried to break up the fight and got stabbed to death for her trouble. I was already in the police academy, but they wouldn't even give me a day off for her funeral."

Kate stopped for a moment. Rick very gently stroked her hair.

"I told Alexis I was lucky. Three teachers in high school saw that I was smart and could get out of Junktown. They did help. But three other male teachers wouldn't give me the grades I had earned unless I fucked them. When I got to the Academy, I was the hot cadet. Every one of the instructors wanted a piece of me. And since any one of them could have had me dropped from the Academy, they all got a piece of me. That's where I learned to moan and groan and tell them how good they were. But, I hated them. I made the hate work for me, though. Every time I was on the firing range, I imagined killing them. Every crime we were taught about, I imagined the instructors as the victims. I set records at the Academy that still haven't been broken."

"Kate…" Rick found Kate's mouth covering his again.

"Then I was a rookie cop. My training officer was named Mike Royce He taught me how to be a cop. A good cop. And he taught me to be his personal sex toy. It got better when I stopped being a rookie. All I had to worry about was my first captain screwing me, because that's what captains do. I could take care of myself, bar a lot of groping and innuendo. Once I made homicide detective, things got better. Montgomery doesn't dare try anything with me. If he did, I'd ask for a transfer and he'd lose the best homicide detective in the city. Instead, he takes Karpowski into his office, bends her over his desk and spanks her, then takes her from behind."

They lay there in silence for several minutes.

"Kate, I don't know what to say."

"What? Rick Castle at a loss for words?"

"Really"

"Then I'll tell you what to say, Mr. Castle. Say, "Beckett, why don't we go for another five orgasms?""

He laughed and then said, "Beckett, why don't we go for another five orgasms?"

And they did.


	9. Chapter 9

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

A month later Kate woke up in a strange bedroom. After a split second's panic, she remembered she was in Rick's bed, comforted by silk sheets and down pillows. They had finally been able to make love at Rick's because Alexis was staying with a friend for the weekend.

Kate sat up, stretched and looked around. Then she heard the soft tap-tap of Rick's computer keys. He was busy writing. She headed for the bathroom to get ready for the day.

She was just finishing getting dressed when she heard something. One was the continued tap-tap of the computer while Rick wrote. The other was the sound of pots and pans being moved in the kitchen. She peered out through the wall of books to see Alexis busy making breakfast. For a brief moment Kate thought about hiding in the bathroom until Alexis left. Then she reasoned that Alexis must have heard the noise of the shower and sink. Alexis already knew she was here.

She squared her shoulders and walked out, headed for the kitchen. "Hi, Alexis." She said with a false confidence she definitely didn't feel.

"Hi, Kate. Did you have a good sleep?" The redhead was faced away from her, so Kate wasn't sure how Alexis was taking this.

"Alexis, I know you must be upset with the idea of your father having….relations with someone who's not an Elite, but…"

Alexis faced Kate. "Don't be ridiculous. I couldn't be happier that you and dad aren't sneaking around, having dad come back from your place at four in the morning so that he can try to convince me that he didn't stay with you. Dad is happier than I've ever seen him and he's done more work since he's met you. Gina is normally over here two or three times a month reminding him that another chapter is due, but, miracle of miracles, he's been several chapters ahead for months now." The redheaded girl walked over and hugged Kate. "As far as I'm concerned, you should stay with us forever."

Kate tried to think of something to say, but Alexis' response had been so far from what she had expected, she said nothing.

"Dad is deep in his writing zone, so come with me since it'll take the two of us to get him to eat breakfast. Oh, I made waffles, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, hash browns and coffee. Grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla for you, right?"

Kate could only nod.

Within the next few days, things would happen that would change Rick, Alexis and Kate's life forever, although they wouldn't realize this until much later.

The first began with a phone call.

"Beckett!" Castle called as Kate walked through the front door. "Nobody died today and all the paperwork is caught up? Sit down, I was just making lunch."

"I got a phone call from a hospital in Junktown. Some gangster dying of cancer wants to talk to me about my mom. His name is Josh Davidson. He wants me to come alone."

"Did he say why, or what he wanted to tell you?"

She shook her head. "It was a nurse that called me. All she knew was what Davidson told her. I looked him up. He was a mid-level drug dealer. He did more than sell drugs, he could cook up a lot as well. He was arrested a couple of times and did a couple of years inside."

"You want me to go with you." It wasn't a question.

"If you don't ….Castle, where are you going." She said as Castle headed for his office.

"I'm getting my guns."

Kate rolled her eyes. "You don't need them. He's dying."

"Suppose this is some kind of a plot by someone you put away who wants revenge. Besides, I have a concealed carry permit. I can go armed any time I want."

"Okay, but don't take that .50 caliber cannon. You could get hurt."

"As it happens, Detective Beckett, I've been practicing with my .50 caliber Spencer."

"And?"

There was a brief pause before Castle answered. "I'm not taking the Spencer. I could get hurt."

Kate managed not to laugh.

When He came out of the office, Kate noticed a bulge under his left armpit. "You have your 9 in a shoulder holster?"

He nodded. "And the 6mm Spoletto is in a holster in the small of my back. Shall we go?"

The hospital looked rundown from the outside and they both were sure it would be no better on the inside. There was actually a human being at the parking garage, handing out tickets. Apparently, automation was not due in Junktown for some time.

Leaving the garage, Castle stopped to talk to the parking attendant. "See that car over there?"

The attendant nodded dumbly, probably never having seen a car like it before.

"Whatever happens to that car while I'm gone will happen to you. No matter how fast you run or how far you go, one day you'll look up and I'll be there. Understand?"

The parking attendant nodded.

As they walked away, Kate spoke. "Really, Castle? Using a line from _Storm's Quest_ on the attendant?"

"I've always wanted to use one of Storm's lines. I was just in the moment." He said happily.

"It would have been more impressive if you'd used the line on a hulking brute of an outlaw biker like Storm did and not on a teenaged girl."

"I just couldn't help myself. I'll give her a twenty sovereign tip when we leave."

"Fifty sovereigns. She's probably had to go change her underwear."

"A hundred sovereigns it is."

Josh Davidson was in an open ward with a good twenty other people. It smelled of urine, disinfectant and hopelessness. Davidson had once been a large, powerful man according to his records, but now he had wasted away to a shadow of his former self.

"Joshua Davidson? I'm Detective Kate Beckett. This is my friend Richard Castle."

Davidson lifted his head a bit off the pillow to look at them. "Shit! You brought some MSS stooge with you? If you're planning on busting me, I won't last until a trial."

"Mr. Castle is a civilian and a friend of mine. And I'm not going to arrest you. I've looked up your record and I know enough about you, so let's cut the small talk. What do you know about my mother."

Davidson looked at them for a long while. "There's a fifty-fifty chance that I killed your mom."

Kate took a long minute to process that. "What do you mean by a fifty-fifty chance? Either you did or you didn't."

"Some context is in order. Back in the day, I made and sold drugs. They called me "Doc" because I could cure what ailed you. If I couldn't make it, I'd find it for you. My partner was a guy named Eric Vaughn. He handled the money, I supplied the product. We had a really big score, some dumb ass Elite kids wanted some real primo dope. Eric and I went to Finn Roarke's to celebrate. We got pretty wasted and decided to finish off the night with your mom. Er, if you didn't know…"

"I know how my mother kept her job. You don't need to spell it out for me."

"We got into an argument about who'd be first. Like I said, we were pretty wasted and somehow we got into a fight and we both pulled our blades. Your mom was the one who got stabbed. I tell you, I don't know which one of us did it."

"What about this Vaughn?" Kate snapped. "Where do I find him?"

"Dead. Long dead. When Vulcan Simmons tried to take over all the drugs, Vaughn wouldn't play ball. Simmons had him iced. I kept my head down and played along until Finn Roarke had Simmons iced."

"When I got out of the Police Academy, I went to see Roarke. He said he knew nothing about my mom's death. The bastard had two police sergeants sitting at the bar with him. He swore he knew nothing. Was he lying?"

Davidson laughed which turned into a long cough. "If you dropped a fork on the floor in his place, Finn Roarke knew about it."

"So, why are you confessing this to me now? You don't look like the type to try to make peace with God or whatever when you're facing death. Why confess to this, now, and to me?"

"I liked your mom. She was a lady, not like the pros you usually got at Roarke's. I asked her to dump your dad and live with me. I told her I'd show her a real good time. She turned me down flat. She said she had a daughter that she was going to get out of Junktown no matter what and shacking up with a drug dealer wasn't going to help. That impressed me. My dad left before I was born and all I was good for to my ma was to go get her some dope. Your mom was the only person I ever met who cared that much for her kid. I just wanted to see how you'd turned out." Davidson smiled. "It looks like you're out of Junktown and headed for the Elite."

Kate leaned over and whispered in Davidson's ear. "I hope you die slowly and in great pain and that you rot in hell for eternity." Then she got up and walked out.

When Kate got back to the car, she noticed that Castle was just coming out of the hospital. She stood there tapping her foot, obviously impatient. "What kept you?" She demanded.

"Nothing. You just walked away awfully quick."

"Let me in then. I have to get on the computer and find out how much of Davidson's story is true. If any."

Kate was busy with the computer when Castle passed the parking attendant.

"No charge, sir. "She said, hiding in her booth.

He took out his wallet and grabbed several bills. He reached out and handed them to the girl. "This is for you. For taking such good care of my car."

"Sir, there's two hundred and fifty sovereigns here." The girl squeaked.

"There is?" Castle pulled out a hundred sovereign bill. "Sorry for short changing you." And off he went.

Kate worked the computer all the way back to Castle's home, and as soon as she walked in, she headed straight for the main computer in Castle's office. Later, Castle made her dinner and took it to her. When he checked an hour later, it was untouched. He decided against interrupting her and took the food back to the kitchen. At nine-thirty he checked on her again. She was sitting staring at the computer.

"Done?" He asked.

She nodded glumly. "I looked everywhere I can think of. Eric Vaughn is dead. Finn Roarke is dead. Vulcan Simmons is dead. The two cops who sat by Roarke while he lied through his teeth to me about my mom are also dead. Everyone else that was connected to Davidson and Vaughn are either dead or on some prison work gang. Like a lot of crims, Davidson and Vaughn didn't have many close friends. I could maybe find some musclehead they used occasionally or some elderly hooker, but what would they know after all these years. I have to conclude that one of my mom's killers is already dead, one is dying and the people who covered it up are dead."

"Do you want dinner?"

Kate looked at her watch. "Is it nine-thirty already? Um, no. I'm really not hungry. I just want to go to bed."

Once in bed, Kate snuggled up against Rick and then began to sob. She sobbed for half an hour. "I'm sorry. I've wanted to confront the men who killed my mom for years and now that I know who they are, there's nothing I can really do to them. I just feel empty." It was then that something that had been at the edge of her consciousness since they left the hospital popped into her mind. "Castle, you can walk as fast as I can. Why did you lag behind?"

"I bribed the nurse to give Davidson less pain killers than he's supposed to get. If I know Junktown hospitals, he's getting the bare minimum already. He will die in considerable pain."

"Thank you."

"It's the least I could do for the woman I love."


	10. Chapter 10

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

Kate went rigid at once. "Castle, don't ever say that again!"

"Kate! What's wrong? You must know…."

"No! I don't want to hear it. You of all people know what monstrous snobs the Elite are. A good number of them no longer believe I'm some princess and I think a few know I'm just some CrimPo out of Junktown. No one minds if you take some non-Elite for your mistress. God knows why some of your Elite friends think that anyone believes the teenagers they bring to some parties are actually their "nieces", but the other Elites go along with it. But if you start telling people you love me, your Elite friends will drop you like a ball of lava. And it won't stop there. People will complain to the Ministry of Culture and you could lose your contract with them. If you can't think of yourself, think of Alexis. Her friends will drop her. Her chances of getting into a good college, any college at all, will disappear. Castle, you can't love me. I won't let you. If you ever say that word again, I swear I'll leave you. Even if Montgomery breaks me down to a uniform and has me pulling long dead bodies out of the river, I'll leave you. I'm serious."

"Okay. Okay. I'll never say it again. Now just relax and get some sleep. You had a long, hard day today."

Kate relaxed and was soon asleep. Rick smiled to himself. If Kate was willing to give up everything she'd worked so hard for, he knew that she loved him as much as he loved her. Now he just had wait for the moment that he very much feared was coming and coming soon.

The next event that would change their lives began with a simple invitation.

"Dad, what did Gina want that you had to rush out of here?" Alexis demanded as her father came through the door. "Kate and I were worried you wouldn't make it home in time for dinner."

Rick inhaled the smells coming from the kitchen. "No worries there. I wouldn't dream of missing a meal prepared by my two favorite chefs. As far as the meeting with Gina, Kate and I are invited to a party."

"She had to have you go to the Ministry just to invite us to a party? That's odd." Kate said.

"The odd part is that the only excuse for not showing up seems to be that we're both dead. And even then, our lifeless bodies should be sent to the party anyway."

"What kind of a party is this?" Kate asked, not feeling at all happy about the strange party invitation.

"The Ministry of External Affairs is holding it at the Palace of Nations."

"What's that?"

"It's a huge tasteless building that the Ministry of External Affairs uses to hold banquets and balls for visiting dignitaries. Most of them think it's an honor for some reason."

As soon as dinner was over and Alexis had gone off to do her homework, Kate cornered Castle in his office. "Do you think that they've found out that I'm not an Imperial Princess and they're going to tell everyone at this thing?"

Castle smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. "No. For one, Gina told me that everyone has been told to be there or else. Secondly, announcing that someone wasn't an Imperial Princess would be a horrible breach of protocol. The Empire would never forgive the Protectorate. Thirdly, the Elite way is to stab you in the back privately, not in public."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Now, start planning what you're going to wear. The party is this Saturday."

When Saturday arrived, Kate was there dressed to kill. She wore a high necked, full length black gown that showed most of her back almost to her ass. In addition, she had borrowed some of the late Martha Rodgers' best jewelry. She had a full set of blood red ruby jewelry on: Earrings, necklace, bracelet and an ankle bracelet. She might not be a Princess, but she'd damn well look like one tonight.

They had luckily met Dr. Paul Whittaker and his wife Ann.

"This place is huge." Ann said, looking around her.

"It's big enough for three fastball pitches with room left over for a half a dozen tennis courts. It's so big they have to use carts to serve champagne to everyone. If they left it to waiters with little trays, they'd need hundreds of waiters." Castle grabbed four champagnes off of a cart as he spoke.

"The Ministers are out in force tonight. "Paul said quietly. "There's the Minister of Health. I recognize him."

Castle took over. "We have the Minister of External Affairs, the Minister of State Security, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of Information, the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Heavy Industry….And we have some military. That's Field Marshall Morgan, the Chief of the Combined Staffs. I don't know the other two, but one is Navy and the other is Air Force."

"They have giant TV screens on the walls and hanging from the ceiling so everyone can see." Kate said.

"Do you suppose Lord Protector Bracken will be here?" Paul asked.

Castle shook his head. "There's always a military band to play _Hail, the Lord Protector_ when he's here. No band, no Lord Protector."

At that point, the televisions came on to show the face of the Minister of External Affairs. "Good evening to the ambassadors of friendly nations, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. The Protectorate has asked you all here tonight to dispel some worrying rumors that have been flying about, both in the Protectorate and elsewhere."

"As you know, what has been called the To-AAn-Union Shadow War is over. To-AAn seems to have collapsed into five warring entities. I can now confirm that the To-Aan fleet was ordered to sea for one last desperate strike at the Union Fleet, but the crews mutinied at what they saw as a suicide mission and surrendered the whole fleet to the Union."

"That was big news six months ago." Castle whispered.

"Shh!" Kate said, annoyed. She rarely watched the news and knew little about what the minister was saying.

The Minister continued. "To begin with, I'd like to cover some recent history and some geography before I get to the meat of our presentation."

"History and geography?" Muttered Paul. "Does he think he's addressing children?"

Castle leaned over and whispered in Paul's ear. "Word is that the good minister loves nothing so much as the sound of his own voice."

"When the Shadow War began some forty plus years ago, the Commonwealth generously offered to protect what was then the Union province of Marlborough. After all, the To-AAn were quite close and the rest of the Union was far away. To our great shock, our offer was declined. Having no desire to have the To-AAn as close neighbors, the Commonwealth sent peacekeeping troops to forestall a To-AAn invasion. While there were no Regular Union troops here, their Militia did fight our peacekeepers. Even after the Militia was defeated, the Unionist continued to defy us, demonstrating, protesting, striking, even resorting to sabotage and attacking our peacekeeping troops. Eventually, enough was enough and we were forced to deport all Union citizens back to the Union. Citizens of the Commonwealth flocked here to take over businesses, homes, farms and estates left behind by the Unionists."

"Now they're the Elite." Castle whispered to Kate. "Forty years ago, they were the quickest to get here and grab something."

"Now, of course, the Protectorate is a full and free member of the Commonwealth. We have our own government, armed forces, taxes and all the trappings of an independent nation. We do of course still maintain the strongest ties of blood and kinship with the other nations of the Commonwealth. However, in spite of all of our efforts to resolve things peacefully with the Union, they have refused to accept that we are no longer their province. They insist they'll have it back."

On the TVs, the face of the Minister was replaced by a map.

The Minister's voice continued. "The area in green is the Protectorate. The Protectorate is some five hundred miles from west to east and runs from some two hundred miles deep in the west to some fifty miles in the east. To our west is the Great World Ocean. South, across the River Tee is the Imperial Province of New South Hibernia. Happily, for us, the Empire, the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the planet, is our friend. To the north is Apilla which is both dirt poor and the most xenophobic nation on our planet. They have no relations with any nation. They have no trade or diplomatic relations with anyone. Any foreigner who accidentally enters their country is executed. To the east we have Pirenna d'Cor, not a powerful nation at all, but one that has always been friendly to the Union."

The TV screen again showed the Minister's face. "Now I'll turn things over to the Honorable Martin Boyd, Minister of National Defense."

"Thank you, Minister Davies. If you will look at the map now on the screen, you will see our world. You will note that the Union is physically twice the size of To-AAn, but has a population a fourth the size of their late enemy. And make no mistake about one thing, this was a war, the term Shadow War notwithstanding. The Union has a much larger economy than To-AAn, and is decades ahead of them in technology. You will note also that the Union has no common border with To-AAn, so most of the war was fought in the air or the sea. There have been campaigns on land as the campaigns on the Canto Plain and the Dead Steppe will attest."

"The Union made the logical decision to use their limited population base to their best advantage by using technology. For instance, a tank platoon consists of four tanks, each with four crewmen, hence a tank platoon is sixteen men. An infantry platoon has more than twice that number and has perhaps one tenth the firepower, if that. In contrast, a To-AAn division has nine infantry battalions of nine hundred men each, with no more than a dozen light artillery pieces. A Union division has seven or eight tank battalions, of 350 to 400 tanks, an armored infantry battalion of some five hundred men and three or four batteries of self-propelled artillery pieces, say eighteen to twenty-four guns."

"The Union has a powerful air force that is technologically far ahead of the To-AAn. We tried to help balance that out the disparity by selling To-AAn anti-aircraft missiles, and other equipment at friendship prices, but eventually, the Union wore them down."

"Now, I will turn things over to Air Marshall Grey to start the discussion of our defenses."

Grey was a tall, slim man who looked very much like a fighter pilot, or at least the public's image of one from movies and TV.

"The Union has a powerful air force." The Air Marshall said. "They have bombers, fighter bombers, fighters, transports, aerial refuelers, reconnaissance aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft…."

As he talked, Kate looked up at photos of a dizzying array of different kinds of aircraft on the screen. She could hardly tell one from another.

"However", the officer continued, "all we have to do is defend ourselves. In the past twenty years or more we've built a nearly impenetrable defense. I say nearly because no defense is perfect. However, we can defend the industrial heartland of the Protectorate with over a thousand anti-aircraft missile batteries that combine low altitude, medium altitude and high-altitude missiles connected to hundreds of radars that provide overlapping coverage for the Protectorate's vitals. In addition, we have literally thousands of anti-aircraft guns also tied into those same radar systems, all connected by a very robust communications system. There is a similar, if smaller system covering the east of the country on the border with Pirenna d'Cor." He chuckled. "The middle of the country is left out, of course, but I suppose the Protectorate can stand the loss of some peasant villages." That brought a laugh from the assembled Elite. "In addition to our ground-based defenses, we have a fine, if small Air Force. Our aircraft are small, fast and maneuverable, unlike the aircraft that might attack us which will be heavily loaded with bombs. I can't guarantee that no bombs will ever fall on our homeland, but I can say that any attacker will be shredded. I would now like to turn things over to Grand Admiral Ferris of our Navy."

Kate wondered about Captain Slaughter's comment that the Air Force was useless because of the poor training of the pilots.

Ferris smiled at his audience. "I know that we've all heard that the Union has aircraft carriers, what they call a battle cruiser, guided missile cruisers, guided missile destroyers, guided missile frigates, submarines, amphibious ships and all the rest. They have Maritime Commando battalions that have staged pin-prick raids against To-AAn targets. But their offensive power is concentrated in their aircraft carriers, and Air Marshall Grey has explained what will happen to those aircraft. As for their various missile carrying ships, those missiles are to protect their carriers from aircraft and submarines with a few relatively short ranged anti-ship missiles. Those missiles have a range of about seventy miles. We have long range anti-ship missiles dug in along our coasts that far outrange their missiles."

"Now let me show you what _your_ navy has." The TV screens showed a small warship with eight tubes of some sort mounted on it. 'These are our guided missile fast attack boats. They're small so they have a small radar signature, they're very fast and they carry eight long range missiles. Each of these missiles has a one ton warhead. A hit by one missile will either destroy or render combat ineffective any enemy ship. A hit by two missiles will destroy any enemy ship. And we have fifty-four such craft. In addition, we have, "the screen changed again to show a video of a group of submarines submerging. "We have fourteen submarines. Admittedly, they're not as large as the fleet boats used by the Union, but they're designed to operate in the waters off the Protectorate. I think you'll agree we have nothing to fear from the Union Navy. Now, I'd like to turn this over to Field Marshal Morgan of the Army."

Morgan thanked his predecessor and said he was very pleased with the efforts of the other services. "Now I can tell you what the Army has planned. The only place that the Union can attack us is from their friends Pirenna d'Cor to our east. They have been friendly with the Union for a very long time and have recently signed a treaty of alliance with them." A map of the eastern part of the Protectorate and parts of Pirenna d'Cor came on the TV screens. "The border between us and Pirenna d'Cor runs along the crest of the Toconos Mountains. However, our defenses aren't set up along the mountains. The Toconos drop suddenly to the open plains that run all the way to the Great World Ocean. We start our defenses on the plains with a belt of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. Behind that we have, "the TV screen showed an armored six-wheel drive vehicle with a large tube on top.", several thousand anti-tank missile systems. Watch one fire at one of our own obsolete tanks from a distance of five thousand yards. "The TV screen showed a blast of fire and smoke and then a shot of the tank, nearly invisible at that range. Then there was a closeup of the tank and a missile moving in slow motion followed by a blast that blew the tank's turret completely off. "Behind our line of mines and missiles are several of our own divisions that are prepared to destroy any small units that somehow manage to penetrate our defenses."

The screens turned back to Minister of National Defense Davies. "I think that after this, you'll all agree that if the Union is foolish enough to attack us, they'll suffer a bloody defeat. Thank you and please stay and enjoy the party."

Neither Rick and Kate nor Paul and Ann wanted to stay.


	11. Chapter 11

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

When they arrived home, they found Alexis waiting for them.

"What happened Dad? What was this all about?" She asked, very curious.

Rick explained in great detail what had been said at the party. He had always told Alexis the truth, although he wished he could just ignore everything they had just heard.

Alexis was extremely upset. "A war? That's horrible. People dying? People being forced to fight. What are you going to do, Dad?"

'There's not much I can do, Pumpkin. It's not like I can just tell the Union to stop."

"But this is our fault. We took the Union province of Marlborough and kicked all of the Unionists out. We should do something."

"Alexis, that happened over forty years ago. Since then, people have been born who now have homes and lives here. People like you and Kate, and if you'll remember, me. What will happen to all those people? Don't you think it would be unfair for them to be asked to just give up everything and go…Where?"

"I don't know. But this is wrong. I don't want to see my friends conscripted into the Army."

"Pumpkin, have you ever heard of an Elite being conscripted?"

"That's not right either."

"Pumpkin, I don't know what's going to happen. The best we can do is keep calm and hope for the best. Okay?" He checked his watch. "Now I think we should all go to bed. It's late."

Alexis stared at her father for a second as if she were going to argue, but then nodded, kissed her dad, said goodnight and went upstairs.

Once in bed, Castle pulled Kate to him, but she put her hand on his chest and pushed him away. "I know you don't want to upset Alexis and I don't blame you. But I think you know more than you told her. Talk to me, Rick."

Rick thought for a moment. "You know the Protectorate doesn't like their citizens getting news from outside. That's why our TVs and radios are built so they can't pick up Imperial stations right across the river. But, I…"

"Know a guy." Kate quickly said.

"Several, actually. I get several Imperial news magazines every week. First, the Union isn't demobilizing its armed forces. As far as I can tell, there are no plans to do so. And they're continuing to recruit more people. Secondly, they took several islands to the north of us from the To-AAn during the war. They're expanding the bases the To-AAn had there and are building more. This puts their aircraft with range of the Protectorate if they use aerial refueling. Thirdly, they're moving troops into their ally Pirenna d'Cor. Mostly construction troops to build more bases, but they have moved air and ground units in already."

"On the bright side, the Union has been at war for over forty years. They may be too tired of war to start another one. They may just be threatening us to get us to start some kind of negotiations. Then again, they have a combat experienced military and a population inured to war. They may fight."

"What do you think they'll do?" Kate asked, holding Rick's hand tightly.

"I'm inclined to think they'll fight, but what the outcome will be, I have no clue. I wish I did." Rick pulled her close. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I think you really need to make love to me."

More than two months went by before Rick made an unexpected announcement at breakfast on Monday.

"Ladies, as you know, next weekend is Birthday…."

Kate made a face. "Please don't remind me. There's nothing a cop hates more than Birthday."

"Why?" Alexis asked. "Its nothing but a bunch of silly parties. Why get upset?"

Castle beamed. "I am so happy that my little girl doesn't know what Birthday is really like."

Alexis raised an eyebrow, something she'd picked up from Kate. "Then tell me what the big secret is."

Kate spoke before Rick could. "Lord Protector Bracken wants everyone to be happy on his birthday. Consequently, he hands out free beer, wine and hard liquor all over the Protectorate. And I don't mean something like a bottle for everyone, he sends out massive amounts of free booze. The result is mass drunkenness all over and that means fights, vandalism, rape, theft, burglary, in fact every crime a drunk can think of. Plus, there are some crims that are smart enough to stay sober the better to rob and loot. The police, the military, fire services and the medical services are supposed to stay sober, but that doesn't always happen. Worse yet, Birthday happens on Sunday this year and Bracken is going to start handing out the free liquor starting at midnight Friday and continue through midnight Sunday. It's going to be a disaster."

"That's why were going on vacation in New South Hibernia." Castle said smiling. "We'll have an entire week of not being around for Birthday and enjoying one of the Empire's most exciting cities."

Kate shook her head. "Rick, there's no way I could get an hour off this weekend, let alone a week."

Rick smiled and handed her a piece of paper. Kate read it. "Because of Detective Katherine Beckett's outstanding service to the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of State Security is awarding Detective Beckett one week of additional leave, with full pay and allowances, not to be charged against her regular leave for one week beginning Thursday…." Kate stopped. "Rick, I've never heard of anything like this."

"That's because no one has ever been so instrumental in helping to write two of the best-selling books in the entire history of the Ministry of Culture before. You deserve this, Kate. You really do."

"We're going on vacation?" Alexis said happily. "All three of us?"

"I guess we are." Kate agreed.

On Thursday morning the three headed for New South Hibernia. They had, as far as Kate was concerned, far too much stuff with them. There was so much that Rick had a town car following them loaded with baggage.

They rolled onto the ferry that would take them across the river. As soon as their cars were stopped, Castle jumped out and led the two ladies to the restaurant aboard the ferry. There he happily presented Kate with her favorite coffee, a grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla. Alexis got an excellent lemonade and Rick had an Imperial beer. They had just finished when the ferry docked and they had to go through customs.

Rick talked briefly with the Imperial Customs officers, then turned to Kate. "We have a small problem."

"Do they want something?" Kate knew what Protectorate customs officers were like. She had hoped the Imperial ones were different.

"Sort of. It seems _Heat Wave_ is hugely popular here and they want us to autograph their copies."

"Us? Rick, I'm not a writer or a celebrity. Why me?"

"Because you really are Nikki Heat. Come on, Kate. It'll just be a few books."

Twenty seven books and many selfies later, they got back in the car and drove off.

"How do you stand to do those book signings?" Kate asked, tired from signing her name and smiling.

"I just remember these people bought my books and are responsible for all I have. All I have except you and Alexis, that is. But now were headed to the Neptune Grill for lunch and then to the Portside Shopping Center, the biggest and best mall in all of New South Hibernia."

At the Neptune Grill, Kate had her first ever lobster which she greatly enjoyed. Then it was on to the gigantic shopping center where Castle seemed determined to buy one of everything for both Kate and Alexis.

Kate and Alexis got another shock when they finally got to their vacation house. They had both assumed that Rick would get a small place suitable for a one week stay. This place was twice the size of their own home, although it was a one story place, and it straggled along the River Tee and even had its own boat dock. Rick led them through it, showing them they had both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an exercise room that had every exercise machine imaginable, a kitchen that wouldn't have been out of place in the Lord Protector's mansion, and more bedrooms than they could use, even if they stayed a different night in each one.

Kate knew what all of this meant. She had, in the back of her mind, been expecting this all along. She carried her gifts from Castle into the bedroom and stood looking out the window at the river. She was determined not to cry, but if she did, she didn't want Rick to see. She intended to leave with her dignity intact. "Rick, you didn't have to do all of this for me. I appreciate it and all, but I've known from the start that one day we'd end our relationship. I want to thank you for all…." Before Kate could say another word, Castle had turned her around and was kissing her.

"I have no intention of ever being without you, Kate. Not unless you leave for some reason and then I'll fight to get you back. I'll fight for the rest of my life if I have to."

"You're not dumping me?" Kate asked and now she was starting to cry.

"Never. We'll be together always."

Kate leaned into him and tried to stop crying. "Always?"

"Always."

"But you're right that I do have an ulterior motive for coming here and now we need to talk to Alexis. So, go dry your eyes and repair your makeup. Then we'll go see Alexis."

Kate had no idea what Alexis had to do with anything, but quickly dried her eyes and joined Rick as they entered the living room.

"Alexis, can you come over here, please." Rick said, standing by a large table.

"What is it, Dad?" The redhead asked. She noticed that Kate had been crying and hoped there was no problem with her dad and Kate.

"This." Rick reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it and put it on the table. When Alexis saw it her normally pale complexion turned even paler.

Rick began reading it. "The Manifesto of the Associated Students of the Protectorate. Let's see. You want the Lord Protector and his Executive Council to be elected by all adults. You want the Ministry of State Security abolished. You want an independent commission established to investigate corruption. And you want a negotiated settlement with the Union as to the status of the Protectorate. And you have a long list of things you want after that."

"Dad, I'm not going to apologize for my beliefs." Alexis said stubbornly.

"I wouldn't expect you to. However, I question both your timing and your ability to accomplish any of this. Alexis, they found your fingerprints on several of these manifestos. The only reason you're not in jail right now is because all of the people responsible for this manifesto are all the children of Elites. They want to make sure they get everyone involved and also to make sure they don't arrest any innocent Elites. In addition, they know that Kate walked you past a police checkpoint by showing her badge."

"Dad! Kate has nothing to do with this. She had no idea what I was carrying and the police never stop Elites anyway. You can't let Kate be punished for this."

As Alexis was talking Kate was also demanding that Rick not let anything happen to Alexis.

"I am not going to let anything happen to the two people I love more than anyone in this world. But, there are discussions at the highest levels of the government as to how much to punish everyone involved in this, but one way or another, you both are looking at prison time."

That set Kate and Alexis off again, demanding that Rick save the other one.


	12. Chapter 12

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

"Will you two let me talk?" Castle yelled, quieting them down. "To begin with, I did not rent this house. I bought it. I had to sell the house in the capitol, our country house and the beach house, but I got a pretty good price for them in spite of the rushed sale." He pulled out his phone and pulled up an app. "As of right now, seventy three percent of my finances have been transferred to Imperial financial institutions and are denominated in Imperial crowns and not in Protectorate sovereigns. A lot of Elites have homes and money stashed in the Empire, so no one in the Protectorate will be surprised or even interested. Also, I've hired an Imperial moving company to move everything from our houses and Kate's place to here. The furniture here is rented so don't be too hard on it, Alexis."

"Me be hard on it? Who broke the end table and a lamp demonstrating how Derrick Storm escaped from prison? What about the sofa when you…."

"Just kidding, Pumpkin. And one more thing, we now have these." He took three laminated ID cards from his pocket and passed them out. "We are now legal residents of the Empire. And if you're interested, the Empire has no extradition treaty with the Protectorate."

"We're safe?" Kate asked. "Alexis isn't going to prison?"

"No. We're all safe."

"Dad, what are you going do here? The Ministry of Culture will never publish another of your books."

"We do have a lot of money. And it's a little known fact that I'm a successful author of children's books in the Empire under the name of Miss Periwinkle Plum."

That cracked both Kate and Alexis up.

"And I hope my Imperial publisher will be interested in the further adventures of Nikki Heat in the Empire."

"I guess you'll still need to follow me around." Kate teased.

"Which reminds me of something." Rick said. "Kate, I'm not an Elite here in the Empire, just a writer of children's books who's fled from the Protectorate. And you're not a former resident of Junktown. Most of the people here don't know what that is and they don't care. So," Rick dropped to one knee, "Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?" He held out a ring to her.

Kate was so surprised she couldn't say a word.

Alexis, fearing a no, spoke. "Kate, say yes. We're a family now. You have to say yes."

Finally Kate managed to nod her head and then managed to squeak out a yes.

Rick slid the ring on her finger and kissed her. Alexis rushed around the table to hug both of them. They hugged until there was a knock on the door.

"Don't answer it." Kate said.

"I'm afraid it's the moving company. We need to get our furniture in."

They spent the rest of the afternoon arranging some of the furniture. Kate made sure the master bedroom was exactly like the bedroom they had shared, while Alexis arranged her own room and Rick did the kitchen. Admittedly, Kate did take time off to look at her engagement ring and to kiss Rick, who, obligingly, kissed her back.

By dinnertime they were starved.

"I suggest we order out for pizza with everything on it." Rick said.

"It won't be as good as what you cook." Said Kate.

"True, but it'll give me more time with my fiancé."

"More time with your fiancé? I like that."

The next morning Alexis and Kate got up ready to arrange more furniture.

Rick put a stop to that. "We're here for a vacation and that's what we're going to do. I've made up a list for the movers as to what goes in what rooms. The rest of the furniture will go into storage, so if we're unhappy with anything, we can do some rearranging."

"What are we going to do today, then?" Alexis asked.

Rick stopped and looked puzzled. "I don't know, really. I suppose we could go out on that big white yacht that just pulled up to our dock."

Rick told them to dress appropriately and reminded Kate that he had bought her a yachting outfit the day before. Then they went to the dock were the captain and the crew met them. Then they went off just lazing on deck and watching the world go by.

But by late afternoon they started to hear the sound of police and fire sirens from the Protectorate.

"What could that be?" Alexis asked.

Kate explained. "Some of the serious drinkers save their money so they can have a real drunk on the weekend. Since the liquor will be free this weekend, they started early with their own money. A lot of them are getting to the stage where they're looking for trouble. The police will give them all they want."

Seeing that what was happening upset Kate, Rick asked the captain to take them closer to the Ocean, which settled Kate down. By sunset they were back at their new home, happy and tired.

They did nothing on Saturday, and did nothing with great pleasure and did it very well indeed. At late afternoon, Rick announced that he would be making his usual Birthday dinner of chili cheeseburgers and garlic fries.

Once dinner was over, he surprised Alexis by bringing her tripod mounted telescope out to the patio and hooking it up to a big screen TV.

"What's that for, dad?" Alexis asked.

"You're not turning into a peeping Tom are you?" Kate teased.

"Tonight there will be fireworks in the Protectorate. From here we can easily see the fireworks at Aquatic Park and the Meadowlands, but with this we can see fireworks as far away as Memorial Park and the Rowdy's fastball stadium. We might even be able to see some from Halliday Amusement Park. Now, may I offer you some wine and lemonade?"

Once he sun was fully down, Rick and Kate cuddled on a chaise longue while Alexis relaxed at the far end of the patio.

After many "oohs" and "aahs" the fireworks were all done. Alexis went to put her telescope away.

"No, leave it out. I think there'll be more fireworks."

Alexis shook her head. "Dad, the fireworks are all over. Look, you can see the crowds are leaving from Aquatic Park. They're over."

"Just leave the telescope, please?"

Alexis shrugged and went back to her place at the end of the patio.

Nothing happened for over two hours and Kate was about to insist that they go back inside and prepare for bed when there was a flash of light across the river, followed by the roar of an explosion. Kate jumped to her feet.

"There's been an explosion in Capitol City." The words were no sooner out of her mouth when a dozen or more explosions occurred almost simultaneously.

"Dad!" Alexis cried. "There's something headed to the city. It looks like a swarm of fireflies."

Some of the fireflies nosed over and exploded in the city and others kept going until they were out of sight.

"What's happening?" Alexis cried.

"I believe we're at war with the Union." Castle said sadly.

"You _knew_ this was going to happen." Alexis said accusingly.

Castle shook his head. "I didn't _know_ it would happen. I suspected it would happen someday and I thought it just might happen on Birthday when too many people would be drunk over there."

"How did you suspect?" Kate demanded.

"Do you remembe _r Storm's Crisis_?"

"What does one of your books have to do with this?"

"Before that book, Storm's enemies were mercenaries, mad scientists, and cabals of billionaires plotting world domination. It was kind of hinted that the Union was behind them, but nothing definite. Then the Ministry of Culture asked me to openly identify the Union as our enemy. I was just starting the book when I realized I knew, well more than a layman's knowledge, about the Protectorate's armed forces, police and intelligence services, but nothing all about the Union's. So, I asked the Ministry of Culture if they could have someone send me some literature about the Union's military, police, and intelligence services. A couple of days later I got a call from some bored officer at the Ministry of National defense asking how much I wanted. I told him to send me everything they had and to keep it coming."

"Oh! I remember that." Alexis said.

"A couple of days later I got packages totaling a hundred and seventy pounds of books, magazines, newspapers, and what not. Oddly, most of it was unclassified stuff from the Union itself, or from the Empire or other countries and almost nothing from the Protectorate or the Commonwealth. And the stuff kept coming. I got enough to do a pretty good job on the book if I do say so myself, but since the MND kept sending me stuff, I kept reading it."

"I remember that too. Sometimes I'd come down and be getting ready for school and I'd find you asleep at your desk with your head on some magazine or newspaper."

"After a while, I began to see a pattern. We had provided the To-AAn with anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles and other military equipment and the Union had to adapt to deal with them. They developed what they called low observable aircraft, that is planes that reflected so little of radar emissions that they were pretty much invisible to radar. They also modified fighter-bombers as electronic warfare aircraft. They'd jam radar emissions and radio transmissions. They also built air to ground missiles that would home in on and destroy radar stations. And, they built guided missiles. Relatively slow ones that used very precise maps they had created with their spy satellites to fly to their targets, hypersonic missiles and even ballistic missiles. A lot of these could be fired from their warships or aircraft from their carriers. I eventually decided that they were putting together forces that could defeat the Protectorate."

"But they'd still have to invade from Pirenna d'Cor, wouldn't they?" Kate asked. "What about the Protectorate forces there?"

"The Union has changed their army as well. Fewer tanks in their divisions and more infantry, and lots and lots more artillery. They also have raised a large division of paratroops. The Union has had observers on the crests of the Tocono Mountains for forty years watching every move we make. And their aircraft will be able to operate over the eastern part of the Protectorate as easily as they have over the Capitol City. After their artillery and aircraft pound the Protectorate's positions, I think they'll send in foot mobile infantry. Fire an anti-tank missile at a group of dispersed soldiers, taking cover, and you might kill one or two for each missile. They'll run out of missiles way before the Union runs out of troops."

"Dad, why didn't you tell anyone this?"

"I tried. They laughed at me, told me I was letting my imagination run away with me. They said the defenses were impregnable and I was totally wrong."

"Do you think the Protectorate will lose?" Kate asked.

"I think so. I'm not sure that would be a bad thing."

"Me either."

Both adults looked at Alexis.

"I wanted change, but not a war. I just don't know." Alexis suddenly said goodnight and went to bed.

Both Rick and Kate went to bed although they had trouble sleeping through the bombing across the river.

The next morning there were fewer missile strikes, but there were more Union aircraft over the Protectorate. Some attacked targets in Capital City others flew on to targets further east.

"They seem to be bombing from quite high up." Kate said as they ate breakfast. "Can they hit anything from that height?"

"They use laser guided bombs." Castle told her.

"What?"

"A laser is a very focused beam of light." Alexis said. "They point a laser at a target and it's only a few inches wide at the target, unlike a regular beam of light. There's a seeker in the nose of the bomb that guides the bomb to the target."

"The Protectorate doesn't seem to be fighting back much."

Rick sighed. "You know the police are corrupt. You know the upper ranks of the government are corrupt. I'm afraid the military is just as corrupt. Conscription is supposed to keep units one hundred percent manned. But unit commanders will allow as much as thirty percent of their troops to unofficially buy their way out of the military. The troops are still on the rolls, so the unit commanders collect their pay. They also sell thirty percent of the food they get on the black market, as well as medicines, shoes, boots, plus gas and, well, anything the missing thirty percent would have consumed. Seeing their officers get rich, how willing to fight do you think the remaining soldiers are?"

"The Protectorate is going to lose, aren't they?"

"Yes, Kate, they are."


	13. Chapter 13

A Future Caskett

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You know this by now, right? Rating: K Time: See below.

They watched the news on TV. The Protectorate stations were filled with confident predictions by high ranking officers that the Union would soon be defeated. The Imperial stations told a different story. The Protectorate was hardly fighting back at all. They showed video of destroyed missile boats in the harbor as well as damaged and sunk submarines.

Shortly after noon, the three watched a Protectorate fighter get chased towards the Ocean by a Union fighter. A missile from the Union fighter hit its target and the doomed fighter crashed into the River Tee.

As the day wore on, there were fewer confident statements from high ranking Protectorate officers.

The next day, shortly after breakfast, there was a knock on the door. When Rick answered it, there were two men in dark suits.

"Mr. Castle, will you and your family please come with us?"

"What is it?" Kate asked, wishing she had her pistol with her.

"It's okay, Kate. I've been expecting this. These are Imperials."

They were put in a large white SUV and taken to a government building. They were put in an elevator and taken upstairs. When the elevator doors opened, there stood Count James. He smiled and shook Rick's hand, then turned to Kate and Alexis.

"Miss Beckett and Miss Castle. I am so glad to finally meet you. Allow me to introduce myself, James de Lisle, Count of de Lisle."

"You're the retired diplomat that Rick often talks to." Kate said, not understanding why they had been taken to meet him.

"I'm afraid that's not quite accurate, Miss Beckett. Actually, I'm the Station Chief for New South Hibernia for His Imperial Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service."

"You're a spy?"

Alexis immediately turned to Rick. "Dad, _you're_ a spy?"

Rick just nodded.

"Why? How? When?" Alexis demanded.

"When I sold my first novel, everything was great. I had money for the first time. Then the second book sold even better than the first. I was able to buy a house in an Elite neighborhood. I could send my daughter to an Elite school. I had Elite cars and clothes and I went to Elite parties with the very best food and drinks and the Elite women were…" Rick took a quick look at Kate. "They were nice."

Kate had to laugh. "Rick, you mean you slept with them."

He nodded. "And for a couple of years things were great. I was having so much fun and everything was so great. Then I started noticing things. I was one of the few people I knew who actually worked for a living. Most of the rest of my friends just took bribes, or skimmed money from projects, or sold government property for their own benefit. Everyone seemed to think that was perfectly normal and all right. I was teased a little bit for even bringing it up. It was attributed to my non-Elite background. Luckily everyone liked me or I would probably been un-Elited, which can happen."

"Then I noticed that it wasn't just the government that was being robbed. One of the ladies at the Ministry of Culture was complaining she had to buy medicine on the black market because there was none available at her hospital. Luckily, she had a good salary and could afford it, but she shouldn't have had to buy medicine on her own that had been stolen from the government. I found other cases like that and some of the people didn't have the money to pay black market prices."

"Then one day I ran into Jimmy at a party. He was an Imperial and not an Elite, well not a Protectorate Elite. I told him what I had learned and he was very sympathetic. So, the next time I ran into him, we talked some more about what was happening in the Protectorate. He started asking questions, too. Pretty soon, his questions got pretty specific. I accused him of being a spy."

"I denied it of course." Jimmy said. "Spies always deny that they're spies unless they're standing in the middle of an office of His Imperial Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service. Even then we'll often say we just dropped by from the Cultural Attaché's office to borrow some scones for tea."

"Count James, what could Rick tell you that could be of any interest to the Empire?" Kate asked. "All he knew was gossip."

"Oh, please call me Jimmy. Everyone does."

"Then please call me Kate."

"Dear me, Kate. Is that an engagement ring I see on your finger?"

Kate blushed and nodded.

"Congratulations to you both."

Kate blushed even more and Rick beamed.

"To answer your question, Kate, any information might be useful to an intelligence agency. If nothing else we got an idea of just how corrupt the Protectorate government was. But for a specific example, do you remember a man who got an extra five percent bribe on a contact for naval radars?"

Kate grimaced. "Yes. His wife wanted to sleep with Rick."

"With that, and other information, we determined that the contractor couldn't possibly deliver the promised radars and pay bribes for the amount of money they were paid. They either had to make fewer radars, or take shortcuts and deliver inferior radars. They did the latter. And when the Protectorate's navy went to sea to oppose the Union Navy, they found their radars to be nearly useless. Most of their missile boats were sunk and the rest ran away."

Alexis spoke. "From the sound of it, you've been providing information to the Union. Why?"

'Miss Castle…"

"Oh, please call me Alexis."

"And you should call me Jimmy. But, we've had nothing but trouble from the Protectorate. I'm sure Kate can tell you how available dangerous narcotics are over there and they keep trying to smuggle that awful stuff into the Empire. In fact, all manner of criminality is rampant in the Protectorate and some of this comes to the Empire. We have thieves, burglars, con artists, counterfeiters, kidnappers, killers and more trying their hand across the River Tee in the Empire. We complain and the officials over there shoot a few low level crooks and tell us the problem is solved, but it isn't. And the worse thing is weapons. Oh, not just someone trying to smuggle a few pistols into New South Hibernia, but the sale of military grade heavy weapons to every warlord, pirate, rebel, and general miscreant in the whole world. The Protectorate will sell armored vehicles, artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, communications gear, protective vests and anything else you can imagine to anyone with money. A good portion of those weapons end up in the hands of the enemies of our Empire. We had reached the end of our patience."

"So, the Union is winning the war?" Castle asked.

Jimmy nodded, "The Protectorate's air defenses have been blinded by the destruction of their radar systems. Union aircraft are dropping guided weapons from too high up to be hit by anti-aircraft artillery. Most of their fighter aircraft were destroyed on the ground and what wasn't has been shot out of the sky. Their navy hardly exists anymore and the army is in full retreat from the eastern front." Jimmy turned to a large computer screen. "Look at this. These are from Union recon aircraft, drones and ground forces." The screen showed long columns of unarmed Protectorate troops marching into captivity, escorted by a handful of Union troops. Then the screen showed a column of Protectorate troops in every sort of vehicle speeding along a highway. Vehicles that stopped were brutally thrust off of the road. Sometimes people walking beside the road were hit. No vehicle stopped to help."

"Those troops are retreating to Capitol City. Some are already there. This was taken some four hours ago."

The screen showed two well known news anchors trying to sound confident as they read bulletins from the Ministry of National Defense and failing badly.

"This is what's being broadcast now." Jimmy said.

The screen showed a Protectorate soldier sitting behind the news desk, screaming obscenities at Lord Protector Bracken and the whole government and all of the Elites. He was telling his fellow soldiers to kill them all. In the background were shots and the sound of a woman crying.

"I'm afraid it's just about all over. The Union is getting their paratroops ready to drop on Capitol City and restore order, but its obvious that the Protectorate is gone and the Union Province of Marlborough is back."

"What will the Union do now?" Alexis asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "I really have no idea."

The three stood there, wondering what might have happened to friends across the river.

"Rick, before you and Kate get married, come to see me. I think we can arrange for you to be married in Eastchester Cathedral. I've always liked the James VI chapel. I think it will do splendidly."

"And I think we should be able to get Alexis into Wellington University in another year. She'll need to be an Imperial Subject, of course, but we won't have any trouble with that. All three of you, of course."

"I've already talked to your publisher, Red Queen Publications….My God, Rick! Miss Periwinkle Plum? Couldn't you have come up with a better nom de plume?"

Rick just grinned and shook his head.

"I assured them that His Imperial Majesty's Government had no objection to Detective Nikki Heat entering the service of the Empire. They'll be in touch."

"As for Kate…"

"I'm not sure what I want." Kate said quickly. "I don't think I want to be a cop anymore. I realize your police are a lot different from the Protectorate, but I really want a change. I'll be a wife and perhaps a mother for a while and help my husband with his books. My mother always wanted me to be a lawyer, perhaps I'll try to do that."

"We'll be happy to help. Unless you need assistance changing diapers. Now, there are some people waiting to see you."

As they left Jimmy's office, Castle saw a familiar hulking figure.

"Ethan! Do you work for Jimmy, too?"

Ethan Slaughter laughed. "I still work for the only person I've ever worked for. Me. But, I understand that Count James can use a man of my abilities. Something about gunrunning." Slaughter disappeared into another office.

One of Jimmy's people took them down several stories. There, to Alexis' surprise were a dozen or more of her friends with their parents. The first to run to Alexis and hug her was her friend, Nancy Jenkins. Nancy's dog, Cosmo, kept a wary eye on Rick. Rick kept a wary eye on Cosmo.

"Alexis, I'm so glad they let you in."

"Let me in?" Alexis asked, puzzled. "We've been here since before the war started.

Nancy began crying. "It's just awful over there. People have just gone mad. There's burning, looting, killing…It's just horrid. Thousands of people are trying to enter New South Hibernia, but they're only letting a few in. I don't know why they let is in."

"Isn't everyone here part of those who wrote our manifesto?"

"Yes, but how would they know about that?"

Alexis looked at her father who shrugged and said, "The Empire does have a very good intelligence service."

"Rick! Kate!" Called a familiar voice and Dr. Paul Whittaker and his wife Ann rushed towards Rick and Kate.

"You made it across?" Rick said.

"They guy who brought us here said you vouched for us. Is that true?'

"Well, I do know a guy or two. But, hey, do you need anything? A place to stay, perhaps?"

Paul shook his head. "My cousin, who's also a doctor, married an Imperial and lives here. We'll be staying with them. She says I should have no trouble getting a job."

Rick talked briefly to the parents of Alexis' friends. Some had a great deal of money in the Empire, some had none. Very few had any skills that would support them in the years to come.

As they left to go back home, Kate noticed Rick appeared preoccupied. "What's wrong?"

"The parents. Some of them will do fine, most never did anything but use their positions to get rich. Now things will be bad for them. I don't feel sorry for them, per se, but for their kids."

"I suppose you could see that they get some sort of scholarship, anonymously, of course."

Castle grinned. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a remarkable woman, Mrs. Castle to be?"

"Now that you mention it, someone has mentioned that to me, Mr. Beckett to be."

 **The End**

 **Author's note: Back to work on the next exciting installment of the story of Lord and Lady Castle in Renaissance Italy and elsewhere, it's entitled To the East. Rick and Kate will go to what's left of the once great Byzantine Empire, through the Black Sea to what will eventually be Russia and on into the Caucasus. But, I also have a few ideas for some shorter stories that just might go from ideas to actual stories.**

 **And a Merry Christmas, or a merry whatever you celebrate, and a Happy New Year to one and all**


End file.
